The Castle's Guardian
by GhostAuthor
Summary: The Dark Castle gets a new resident changing the lives of both Rumpelstiltskin and Belle. Now a series of one-shots. *NOW ON HIATUS*
1. 1 Responsibility

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

Another day, another room in Rumpelstiltskin's castle to dust while he was gone. The gray skinned little man had been gone for two weeks, and Belle was starting to miss him. She soon got over it for the time being and continued to dust one of the many upstairs rooms containing his odd trinkets. That was until she heard a loud crash that nearly shook the castle. Without hesitation, Belle rushed downstairs to the main hall and found it filled with smoke.

Coughing, she managed to make it through the smoke and opened a window. When it was clear, she saw Rumpelstiltskin sprawled across his table holding an egg that was the size of a small child. Belle inched closer to him, and he startled her by lifting his head suddenly. He shook his head and looked at the egg with a grin.

"Rumpel?"

He finally noticed her."Good morning, dearie. Did I startle you?"

"A bit. What is that?"

He sat up so that his legs hung over the edge of the table with the egg by his side."It's an egg."

"I know that. What kind of egg is it? It obviously not from a hen."

Rumpelstiltskin stood up and dusted of his clothes."It's a dragon egg."

"Why do have a dragon egg?"

"Full of questions are we? If must know, female dragons only lay eggs every ten years, and I had been waiting eight for this one. That's why I was gone so long. Most female dragons chose to most remote place they can find to raise their young. Unfortunately, I was only able to acquire one before she tried to roast me, and I must not have been specific enough when I made the teleportation potion."

"That explains your rather rough landing, but it doesn't explain what you are going to do with the egg."

"I'm going to eat it of course. Dragon eggs are a delicacy, and one can feed a hundred men. Not to mention, the shells can be used in potions."

Belle shook her head. He'd nearly gotten himself killed over an egg. Suddenly, both of them heard a loud crack. Rumpelstiltskin turned around to see his new egg shaking on the table. In just a few seconds, the egg was completely shattered, and a small dragon sat on the table. It was about the size of a puppy, and it's scales were a light yellow. Rumpel's face fell at the sight, and Belle couldn't help but laugh.

"My dinner!"

"Aww. It's alright, Rum. At least you get the shell."

He merely grunted."What am I going to do with him now? Adult dragon meat is terribly hard to cook, and a baby one is even worse."

"Let's keep him."

His head whirled around to look at her."What?"

"You heard me. Lets keep him. He can guard the castle while you're gone."

"That's what you're for, dearie."

"Yes, but one girl won't strike as much fear as a dragon will. Besides, I could use the company."Belle walked up to the table and rubbed the little dragon's chin. He rubbed his snout against her hand."Plus, he's kind of cute."

"Cute? That thing will be able to destroy an entire army soon."

"You can do the same thing now if you wanted, and you're still cute."

If he'd looked normal, she would have seen him blush at being called cute."Alright, dearie, I'll make you a deal."

Belle groaned. She knew this going to come."What is it?"

"I'll let you keep the little monster, but you're responsible for him. If he destroys anything of mine, I'm holding you accountable. Got it?"

"Yes, Rumpel."Without a warning, she pulled him into a hug."Thank you."

He stood completely still and watched her pick up the little dragon in her arms."I think I'm going to call you Draco. How does that sound?"

Draco let out a a burp that ended up being a puff of smoke before nestling deeper in Belle's arms. Rumpelstiltskin smiled a bit and reached to touch Draco, but the little dragon snapped at him and growled. Rumpel snatched his hand back and glared. He was about to speak when Belle cut him off.

"Draco! Don't do that. Rumpel is being nice for once and letting me keep you. The least you can do is be nice as well."

Draco buried his head in her arms and whined."It's alright, dearie,"Rumpelstiltskin said."I think the reason he didn't like me is because of my scent. Dragons have sensitive noses."

"You do smell. You'd better fix that before he tries to bite you again. I'll bring your dinner up to your room. You look like you need a good rest."

Rumpelstiltskin grinned at her."I knew I chose you for a reason."He was gone in a flash, and Belle smiled to herself.

"Come on, Draco. You and Rumpel both need something to eat."

At the mention of food, Draco let out a happy chirp and let her carry him to the kitchen.

_**TBC**_


	2. 2 Trust

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

Rumpelstiltskin had finally adjusted to the presence of Draco. The dragon had grown a lot in a month but was always following Belle. He'd become a guardian of sorts for her, to which Rumpel was grateful. At least when he wasn't there, Belle would be looked after. However, Rumpel knew Draco wouldn't be small enough to fit inside the castle forever. In about three or four months, he'd be _bigger _than the castle. Rumpelstiltskin continued to think about what to do with Draco until Belle came in.

"Have you seen, Draco?"she asked."I can't find him anywhere."

He stopped spinning and looked up at her with a small smile."Lost him already, dearie? I haven't seen him, but I'm sure he's around here somewhere. Try the library. He likes to light the fireplace himself and curl up in front of it.

"Alright. Thanks."

She left, and he closed his eyes. Little did Belle know, he had the ability to sense living things. As long as they were within his range, he'd be able to find them. With his eyes closed, he could feel Belle roaming the castle, the birds flying over the castle, and even the rats in the dungeon. He ignored those and kept looking. When he finally found Draco, Rumpelstiltskin nearly fell from his stool. The little demon was in _his _room.

By the time he reached his room, Belle was already there. Draco had managed to crawl underneath his bed and refused to come out. Belle was currently pulling his tail trying to get him out. With a sharp tug, she finally dislodged the dragon and caught him in her arms.

"Got you now. What's this you've got in your mouth?"

Rumpel's heart dropped when he saw at Draco's chew toy. It was his dagger. Belle took it from Draco and finally noticed him standing in the doorway.

"Hello, Rumpel. I finally found Draco. He didn't destroy anything, but I have no idea where he got this from. I'll go put it with the other daggers upstairs."

He blocked her exit and smiled to hide his nervousness. She had no idea what the dagger really was or what it did. That was good. If he could get it back before she said a command, he could hide it again with stronger charms this time.

"Actually, dearie, that is my personal dagger,"he said pointing at it.

"Yes. I can see that by how your name is engraved on it. Honestly, Rum. What do you need a dagger for?"

"Sentimental reasons. I've had it for a very long time."

"You hardly seem like the sentimental type, and it doesn't look that old."She held the blade up and looked at it."The blade looks brand new."

"Yes. Well, I keep it in very good shape. It's very valuable."He reached for it, but she moved before his hand could grab it.

"Looks like an ordinary dagger to me. There's something else, isn't there?"He had to freeze to keep from visibly sweating, but the look on his face betrayed him."Tell me what's so special about this dagger of yours."

Curses from dozens of languages flew through his mind at once. He could feel the dagger's magic pulling him, forcing him to obey, but she didn't say tell her everything that made it special."It's magic."

She rolled her eyes at him."Obviously, or you wouldn't hide. Tell me, what does it do, and explain this time."

Again, the blade's magic pulled at him. Rumpelstiltskin had to still himself to keep from visibly shaking from struggling against the blade. Soon, he couldn't hold on any longer."It controls me. Whomever holds it can make me do anything and can kill me to gain my powers."

Belle's eyes widened, and he closed his. Here it comes. She was going to to run back to her father, and he could do nothing to stop her now. Numerous possibilities ran through his head, all of them bad.

What if she gave it to the Queen?

What if she killed him and became the new Dark-One?

What if she made him her slave?(Then again, that one wouldn't be _completely_ horrible.)

What if...

"Rumpelstiltskin, look at me!"

His eyes snapped open, and his body snapped to attention like a trained knight before a princess."_Yes_?"

To his surprise, she pushed to blade flat against his chest."Here. You can have it back. Hide it, and don't tell me where if you need to. I never want to see it again."

"Why?"He was so shocked that the word came out barely above as whisper.

"I don't want to control you, Rumpel. I refuse to make you my puppet or my pet. You're to wild to be caged, and I like you just the way you are. Unique and one of a kind. You can't be that if I tell you what to do. Now, take it."

He took it and ran his fingers along the flat side of the blade over his name."I've got a better idea."He summoned the magic scabbard he'd acquired years ago and stuck the dagger in it. The old leather scabbard changed to fit the blade, and Rumpel held it out to Belle."Take it."

"Rum. I can't."

"Yes, you can. This scabbard makes it so that the blade can only be removed by the person who owns it. I'm giving it and my dagger to you. I trust you to guard it with your life so that I don't have to worry anymore. I know you won't use it against me, and if you are ever in trouble, just call my name and I'll come. May I?"

She nodded mutely, and he knelt before her. He lifted her dress a bit and fixed the strap around her thigh before smoothing her dress back down. She did not flinch once even when his fingers touched her skin for a moment. Her body stayed still as he rose to full height again."There. Now the two most valuable things I have are safe."

Belle blushed."Thank you for trusting me. I promise to look after it for you."

"I know you will, dearie. If you can keep a dragon, you're special enough to wield that dagger. Just don't let me catch you slacking off with your duties. I'll let today slide since you had to find Draco, but I like my lunch on time."

She knew he was joking and laughed."Yes, sir. Lunch will be ready in a minute."

Watching her go, Rumpelstiltskin knew he'd made the right decision in trusting her.

_**TBC**_


	3. 3 Loyalty

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**This one was inspired by "I'd Come for You" by Nickleback.**

"W-wha...Town? Y-you trust me to came back?"She was confused. He never let her go past the gates before.

He was as calm as ever when he spoke."Oh, Belle. I expect I'll never see you again."

Belle stood up slowly, never taking her eyes off of Rumpelstiltskin. He was letting her go? That would break their agreement, and he never went back on his deals. She finally tore away from his gaze and headed upstairs to grab her cloak and a basket. Something had changed his mind. That, or maybe he never cared for her at all.

* * *

Just as he'd suspected, Belle wasn't back when the sun began to set. That, however, did not stop him from pacing in his tower. Rumpelstiltskin kept pacing and did not notice Draco come up the stairs. In his haste, he nearly stepped on the dragon's tail. Draco's screech broke him from his revere, and Rumpelstiltskin looked down at him. Finally exhausted, he flopped down in his chair and let Draco climb onto his lap.

"She's not coming back, boy,"he said almost pitifully as he petted the dragon. Draco seemed to understand and whined."I know, but I'll let you her one last time."

Rumpelstiltskin grabbed the magic mirror off of the table and held it before Draco."Show me Belle."

His own reflection in the mirror began to swirl until they no longer saw him. Instead, they now saw Belle. She clutched her cloak tightly with one hand and clutched the basket of straw in the other. She looked cold and tired, but she kept going. So, she was coming back. Draco realized this as well and began to bounce in his lap.

Just as he was about to put the mirror away, Rumpelstiltskin saw her stop. Two men, obviously bandits, stood in her path, and another three came up behind her. The mirror would not allow him to hear what they said, but Rumpel didn't need to see anymore. Leaving a growling Draco behind, he sent himself to Belle as fast his magic could take him. The spell landed him in the woods a few feet away behind the bandits who had now backed Belle near a tree.

"Now what's a pretty girl like you doing in these woods alone?"asked the one in the middle.

"I'm simply fetching some straw for my friend. He really needs it and will be worried if I'm any later."

"And just who is this friend of yours?"asked another one.

He could tell she was scared but saw her hand drift to touch her thigh. She still had his dagger with her and whispered his name. It was so low that her attackers didn't hear it, but it echoed throughout Rumpelstiltskin's head. The group advanced on her like a pack of wolves forcing her to take a step back. She didn't notice the slight change in the ground's level and lost her footing. She hit the ground with a sharp cry, and the men began to laugh at her.

This filled Rumpelstiltskin with a rage he hadn't felt since he killed the duke and his men. How dare they laugh at the pain of such a kind woman. He was behind the biggest one and had him face first on the ground with his hand around his throat before he could blink. He sat on the brute's back and held him there. His original plan was to get Belle out, but now they were going to pay.

"I think she means me."

One of them was smart and realized his identity."R-R-Rumpelstiltskin!"

The Dark One gave them all a demented smile."That's my name."He easily flipped off of the large man's back and landed next to Belle."The question is why are you troubling my caretaker in my woods?"

The brute got up, rubbing the dirt from his face with a glare."These aren't your woods. They're ours. We don't have to answer to a freak like you."

This one obviously wasn't too bright, but the one who'd recognized him took a step back."Give me the dagger, Belle,"he whispered.

"Rump...What are you-?"

"Hush now, dearie. Everything will be alright just give me the dagger. I'm not going to waste my magic on these punks."

She slid it from the scabbard and passed it to the waiting hand he held behind his back. He squeezed the hilt tightly and began to smile at the men before him."Freak you say? If I'm just a freak then even a imbecile like you should have no problem handling me."

Still on the ground, Belle had to keep from choking. Was he insane? It was five against one. There was no way he could take them all without magic, and if he was distracting them for her, there was no point. Her ankle wasn't going to allow her to move without help. Now enraged, the largest one charged with a large fist aimed right at Rumpelstiltskin's face with the others behind him. Belle closed her eyes and plugged her ears. She didn't want to see or hear him get killed because of her.

After what seemed like an eternity, she felt a hand touch her cheek, but she refused to open her eyes. The figure easily removed her hands from her ears, and she could feel his breath against her neck.

"It's safe, dearie. You can look now."

Her eyes snapped open at the sound, and she saw Rumpelstiltskin grinning at her. He was completely unharmed. The wasn't a scratch or a drop of blood on him. Belle shot forward and wrapped her arms around him. He was shocked at first but soon returned the hug.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again, you crazy man. I thought you'd been slaughtered.

"I make no promises, but I'll try as long as you learn to have a bit more faith in me. It was only five men. Four really since one was smart enough to run, but he didn't get far. It's nice to see that you care though."

"Of course I care. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

A lump formed in his throat at her words. She was lying. She had to be."You'd be free. You could go back to your father."

"And do what? Marry Gaston and become a trophy wife to that arrogant fool? No. I rather stay where I'm happy with you and Draco in our home."

Home. He'd never used that word to describe the Dark Castle. Before Belle, it had just been a place to store his gold, potions, and the things he'd acquired through his deals. He rarely even stayed in it before she came into his life. Now, he was happy to get back there as fast as possible, and it looked a bit brighter and less gloomy thanks to her. Home described it perfectly now. Rumpelstiltskin pulled away from her with a smile.

"Then lets go home."

Belle smiled back at him and blushed a bit."I'm going to need some help getting up."

He placed the dagger back in its scabbard quickly, but she still saw the small flecks of blood that he'd missed. After rising to full height, he slung the basket over his shoulder and gathered her up into his arms as if she were a doll.

"Rum-"

"Just let me take care of you for once, dearie. Your ankle is twisted, and you're obviously cold."

He had figured her out that fast and was completely right. She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder."This doesn't change anything. We made a deal, and I still want my story."

Rumpelstiltskin simply laughed."I remember, and I will uphold our deal. _After, _I get you warm and bandage that ankle of yours, that is."

"Yes, Rum."She wrapped her arms around his neck as he began to walk since they were so close to home."Thank you for saving me. If you hadn't come-"

He cut her off there. He didn't even want to imagine losing her."It's no problem, dearie. Dagger or no dagger, I'd alway come for you if you needed me."

She smiled at this and closed her eyes."What happened to letting me go?"

"Seeing as how you get into trouble the minute I let you out of my sight, I figure you are safer with me."

Safe. That was exactly what she felt with him. In the arms of monster who had just killed five men and maybe more before this, she felt completely safe and protected. For the life of her, Belle couldn't find a single problem with it.

_**TBC**_


	4. 4 Jealousy

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

Something was off. Something was very very off. Rumpelstiltskin tore his eyes from his wheel and looked around. Where was Belle? He couldn't hear her moving around, but she was definitely still near by. The Dark One stood up and looked out of the open window. There she was. Down below the window, Belle sat with her hands in the dirt. Rumpel easily jumped from the window and landed beside her.

"What are you doing?"

She jumped, sending a bit of mud onto his boots, before looking up at him."I hate it when you do that. It's spring, so I'm planting a garden. There's a cherry tree in the corner of the yard that looks as though it could make it, and I got a few vegetables so I won't have to go to town so much."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you liked being here."

"Perish the thought. It's hard to believe it's been an entire year."

He sat himself down beside her and looked at what she'd done."Any regrets?"

Belle gave him a sideways glance."Not a single one. Do you need anything from town? I'll need to go today if you want dessert, and I have to get your straw."

A content smile formed on his face."What is this time?"

"I was thinking cherry pie. I know how much love it, and the tree will make things easier if I can get it to grow."

"Mmm. You're trying to make me fat,"he accused.

She patted his stomach with a laugh."You make yourself fat. No one tells you to eat so much."

"Magic takes energy, dearie. I have to eat to keep up my strength."

"Whatever you say."

He stood back up with a grin."I eat no more than that bottomless pit of a dragon you have."

At this, Belle laughed."No, but you're pretty close."

She then cleaned her hands on a rag, and Rumpelstiltskin helped her up. Her dress and stockings were muddy, and she was sweaty from being in the sun most of the morning. He still had to hold back a smile. Even covered in dirt, Belle was beautiful.

"Is there anything you need?"she asked after a while.

_You. You and only you. Forever._"Actually, I have a client in town. I suppose I'll be accompanying you today. That is, if you don't mind."

She looped her arm with his."Of course not. It'll be nice to go out with you."

* * *

Belle smiled at her surroundings as she and Rumpel made their way to town. She enjoyed the spring time more than anything. The world around her seem to come alive. The flowers were blooming, giving off wonderful scents, the birds were singing, and the air was finally warm. Beside her, Rumpelstiltskin smiled and watched her. She seemed so happy even after being away from her home and family for a year.

They reached their destination, and he could feel the eyes automatically glance at them. Belle had come her numerous times before but never with him at her side. He smiled to himself and politely tipped his head at two women before placing his hand on Belle's back lightly. She stared at first but soon understood and slowed her pace to match his.

"I'll be at the inn if you need me. The owner owes me, and I intend to collect."

"Don't scare the man to badly, Rum,"she chided."You have a habit of striking fear into people."

"As I recall, it didn't work on you, dearie."

"No, it did not, but some people aren't nearly as brave I am."

He smiled at this. She'd never been more right. He'd never met a braver person than Belle. To come with him to save others knowing she'd never go home took courage. She did something he doubted he'd be able to do himself had he been in her shoes.

"True. I might just have to tell him just that."

"And here I wondered why people dislike you."

"I truly haven't a single idea why,"he said completely innocent.

They both began to laugh, oblivious to the stares."At least try not to cause trouble."

"I make you no promises, but I'll try. Now go on, I want my dessert before sunset."

"Yes, Rum."

Now in the middle of town, the two parted ways. Rumpelstiltskin silently watched her make her way through the bustling crowd until she was out of sight. When she was completely out of his view, he turned and made his way to to the inn.

* * *

Dealing with the innkeeper took longer than Rumpelstiltskin had expected. There was no one harder to make deals with than an idiot with a conscience. No matter. He still got what he wanted. Now, he needed to find Belle, and he wouldn't need magic to find her. He knew exactly where she'd be.

Turning a corner, he spotted her inside the small bookshop the town had. He could see her through the shop window browsing the shelves for another book. She wasn't watching where she was going and ended up bumping into someone. Part of him wanted to move, but something told Rumpelstiltskin to stay in place. He watched Belle apologize to the man. He was tall with blonde hair, but Rumpel couldn't see his face. He used his powers to listen to them instead.

"It's alright. I'm Edward by the way."

"Belle."

"I've never seen you in the village before. Are you new in town?"

"No. I stay a little ways away. I just moved there last fall though."

"That explains it. Do you come here often?"

"Whenever I can. I usually stop by after I pick up straw."

"That explains the basket then. I'm here with my sister. I'll never understand why she reads so much. Her husband agrees with me, and yours must be looking for you."

Rumpelstiltskin's eyes narrowed when heard her laugh."I'm not married."

"I'm sorry. I just assumed. I mean a woman as pretty as you should have had men begging to marry you."

Rumpel's hands clenched into fists. This idiot was flirting with his Belle. Wait. _His_ Belle? When did she become his Belle? The minute you saved her from falling, that's when. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He hadn't been looking for love when he took her, and he sure as hell didn't need it now. He sat down on a bench across from the shop and looked back up at Belle and Edward.

"I had a suitor once, but it was an arranged marriage. I came here to get away from him and my father."

"So you're single now?"

Belle mentally cursed herself for saying that. Edward was attractive, but he reminded her too much of Gaston. She let her eyes wander for a second and spotted her salvation."No. There's someone. He's right outside."

"I don't see anyone."Edward stepped towards her."You wouldn't be lying to me, would you?"

Rumpelstiltskin took this as his cue to step in. He quickly came up behind Edward and addressed Belle.

"There you are, love. Oh good, you got my straw."

The large man looked down at the imp, and his eyes widened. Belle pushed passed him and wrapped her arms around Rumpel's waist. He then threw his arm around her shoulders despite his confusion. She rested her head on his chest and smiled.

"Just go with this okay,"she whispered. He nodded slightly and looked back up at Edward."Edward, this is-"

"T-t-the Dark One."

Rumpelstiltskin smiled evilly, scaring the man even more."My reputation precedes me. You may call me Rumpelstiltskin. I see you've already met Belle. She always comes here even though we have a large library at home."

Belle looked up him then."You know I like to browse for new books when I can."

"Yes I do, dearie. If you keep this up, you're going to run out of space."

"There are dozens of empty rooms in the castle."

"Yes, but they are _my _rooms."

Belle turned her back to Edward and wrapped her arms around Rumple's neck."I'm sure I can _persuade_ you to give up one room."His arms circled her waist, and he felt himself heat up under her gaze and touch."I mean when two people both want something the other has, a deal can always be struck. Isn't that what you always tell people?"

He gulped and looked down at her."That I do, dearie. But what do you have that I want?"

Without warning, she pressed her body closer to his and began running her fingers up and down his neck making him shiver."I'm sure I'll find something."

Rumpelstiltskin saw her smile and realized that she was enjoying this."I'm sure you can, dearie, but let's save that for later when we're alone. You're scaring the poor boy in front of us."

Belle turned her head to see Edward. He was obviously flustered and staring at the floor."He's still here?"

The man's head snapped up."I-I'll just be going then."

He then left quickly. When he was out of range, Belle threw her head back and laughed.

"That was evil, conniving, and down right vicious,"Rumpelstiltskin said. A smile broke out on his face, and he transported them both back home."I approve."

"And I thank you for playing along."

"No need, dearie. Anything to get that buffoon away from you."

Belle looked at him for a moment before gasping."You were jealous."

He let her go and took a step back."I was not!"

"Yes, you were. You thought I was interested in Edward. Was it because his dazzling smile or those sparkling blue eyes? Maybe it was the way his hair fell across his cheeks."

"If you like him so much, why did you pretend you were with me?"

Instead of flinching at his outburst, Belle laughed at him and pulled him back into a hug."You silly man, I don't like him. He's just like Gaston, brawny and brainless. I'd choose you over a hundred Edwards.

Rumpelstiltskin felt like a fool but hugged her back still."Your reputation is ruined now, Belle. News will spread of your little lie. Your father will be distraught at the thought of you in my bed."

There it was. That beautiful smile that made his heart melt."Then I guess I really am stuck with you."Belle then raised herself so that her mouth was by his ear."And does it have to be a lie? I'm sure your bed is much more comfortable than mine."

His eyes widened, and she gave him a kiss on the cheek before releasing him. A feather could have knocked him off his feet after hearing that. Draco, who had watched the entire thing, broke him from his trance. The Dark One fell back into his chair and looked at the dragon. The damn thing was smirking at him. Instead of being angry, Rumpelstiltskin began to smile.

"No. It doesn't have to be a lie at all."

_**TBC**_


	5. 5 Tolerance

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

Belle had learned a lot about Rumpelstiltskin in her time with him. She'd learned that his skin color shifted with his mood and that he was stronger and faster than he looked even without added magic. She probably knew more about him than anyone else by now, but she was still learning each day. Today's lesson was an unexpected one. Who knew that the Dark One had a low alcohol tolerance?

She'd found him outside near the edge of the woods, drunk off his ass, staring at the clouds. A decorative bottle was beside him, and it was empty. Belle stood over him and looked down. He looked back up at her and suddenly started giggling like mad.

"Hi, Belle."

"Hello. What was in the bottle?'

He thought for moment."I have no idea. A wine merchant gave it to me. Said it was the strongest he ever made. I drunk this much."He spread his hands apart a small distance."and decided to come outside."

"Uh-huh. You can't stay here, Rum. You'll roast alive in this heat wearing that,"she said, gesturing towards his trademark leather.

Rumpelstiltskin rose, stumbling as he did so, and smiled at her. With a wave of his hands, his clothes disappeared."There. Now I'm not wearing anything."

Belle's hands flew to cover her eyes, but she was too late. The image of her boss stark naked was now burned into her mind. She could feel herself blushing at the image. As much as it _pained _her to do, she had to fix this."I take it back! I take back! Put some clothes on."

"Okay."

She slowly opened her fingers and moved her hands away. He was now dressed in a light brown shirt and pants.

"That's better."He then started frowning."What's wrong?"

"You think I'm ugly."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do."He bowed his head and looked at the ground."You didn't even want to look at me."

She immediately felt bad. He looked like a kicked puppy."It's not that. It's just-It's really weird seeing my best friend naked."

He lifted his head."I'm your best friend?"

"Of course. Who else would it be?"

Smiling like a child, he stumbled forward and pulled her into a hug. Belle blinked but hugged him back."So you don't think I look funny?"

She pulled away and cupped his face in her hands. She had to admit that he did look a bit weird. Scaly green-gold skin that changed shades, big amber eyes, and green nails wasn't exactly normal but neither was he.

"I love the way you look, Rum. It's different just like you."

"And I love you, Belle."

"You what?"

With that said, his knees gave way bringing both of them down, and he used magic to keep them from hitting the ground. This ended up sending them to his room. He landed on the bed atop of her and smiled drunkenly. He hugged her tighter and decided to use her chest as a pillow. Belle tried to move, but his grip was too tight.

"Rum. What did you say?"

Rumpelstiltskin yawned."I...love...you. I have since I caught you that one time. I just didn't think you loved me back."

Belle was stunned. He was drunk and professing his love for her. What was she supposed to say to that? Then again, he probably wasn't going to remember this anyway."I...I do, Rum. I love you, too."

"Hmm. That's good."He shifted his weight and closed his eyes."Goodnight, Belle."

Despite it being noon, she smiled down at him and brushed his hair back with her hand."Night, Rum."

As he drifted off, a thought came to Belle. Rumpel had only drunk half of the bottle. What happened to the other half?

* * *

_Meanwhile_

Unknown to the two inside, Draco lay passed out on Belle's balcony. The dragon had gulped down the other half of his master's wine and like him, felt the effects. The drunken creature managed to fly himself, albeit shakily, to the nearest ledge and pull himself up. Once in the shade, Draco rolled onto his stomach with his legs and wings spread out across the balcony and was soon dead to the world.

Belle found him two hours later, still out, after Rumpel awoke with a huge hangover and brought him in. Draco soon came to with a hangover of his own, and Belle left him with Rumpel as company. Master and dragon both lay on the bed with bucket beside it for the both of them. When he was done hurling, Rumpel fell back and looked at his pet.

"I'm never drinking again."

Draco rolled over slowly and groaned in agreement.

_**TBC**_


	6. 6 Appearances

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Author's Note:****I know I'm late, but my teachers seem to to find it fun to give more work at the end of the year. Good thing is, I only have two weeks left, so I'll have more time to write. This chapter takes place in Storybrook, and I'll probably switch back and forth between worlds from now on. Enjoy!**

"But Emma!"

Emma Swan looked down at her son."No buts, kid. Time to go. Regina will have my head if your not home."

Henry sighed and grabbed his bag and book."She's the Evil Queen, remember? She'd take your heart first."

Surprisingly, the sheriff laughed and walked the boy to the door. Emma shut it behind him and waited. After a few minutes, there was a knock. Emma opened the door and saw Ruby on the other side.

"All clear?"

"Yep."Emma opened the door fully."You got everything?"

"Do you even have to ask?"The red wearing girl walked in with her arms full of bags followed by Ashley and Annabelle."I even went and picked up the old ladies."

"Hey! Just because we're in stable relationships does not make is old ladies,"Ashley said.

"Yes it does. Where is your man anyway?"

"He finally managed to get some leave time and wanted to spend some of it with his daughter."

"That's sweet,"Mary Margret said as she came out of her room.

"Yeah, and I'm happy he did. He's off for a week, and he's been smothering me."

"I recall you complaining the day he proposed that he wasn't around enough,"Emma said as she made the popcorn."Now, he's around too much?"

"That does sound bad, huh?"

"Completely,"MM agreed."What about you Annie? What's Gold doing without you at home?"

"Knowing him, he's probably at the shop still. He hates going home without me there. At least Draco can keep him company."

"I think I speak for the people when I thank you for settling down with the man,"Ruby said."Thanks to you, he's mellowed out a bit."

The other girl laughed and stole the bowl of popcorn before heading towards the couch."I try. Now what have you got for entertainment? This was your idea."

"It's in one of the bags."

Emma looked in the second bag and pulled out a DVD case."The Full Monty? What's this?"

"I found it in Granny's attic. I've never seen it, so I figured it would be good to watch."

The other shrugged and grabbed their preferred snacks and drinks. The couch and floor spaces were then filled, and Ruby put the movie in.

* * *

_20 Minutes Later_

"Holy shit!"Ruby stopped the movie quickly."It's Mr. Gold!"

Emma looked at her, worried for her sanity."What?"

Ruby rewound it again."Look! I didn't see it before, but he looks just like Gold only younger."

The girls watched the scene again, and they soon came to an agreement. Gaz was Mr. Gold.

"Damn Annie,"Ashley said."Does he still look like that?"

Annabelle turned beet red bowed her head."I'm not telling a thing."_Yes_

"Aren't you getting married?"MM asked.

"Yes, but it doesn't mean I can't appreciate a nice ass when I see one."

Ruby raised her glass."Here, here. He's older now, but I see why you bagged him Annie."

The girl in question buried her face in her hands. There was no denying it. The man on the screen was a dead ringer for her man."Just start the movie."

* * *

_1 Hour Later_

The credits rolled, and Ruby exclaimed,"Sweet Jesus!"

The other three girls ended up looking like the three wise monkeys. Ashley covered her mouth in shock, Mary Margret covered her ears, not wanting to hear any more, and Emma covered her eyes.

"Is it over?"Emma asked.

"Yeah,"said Annie slightly dazed."It's over."

One by one the girls moved their hands away, and MM shuddered."I'm never going to get that image out of my head!"

"I don't think I'll ever look at Mr. Gold the same way again,"Ashley agreed.

"We hide the movie and never speak of this again,"said Emma."Agreed?"

They all nodded. Quietly, they all cleaned up the room and shuffled out mumbling 'goodnight'.

Emma and Mary Margret looked at each other silently then at the TV. Both twitched slightly before hurrying tho their rooms.

* * *

_The Next Day_

Business in Storybrook went on as normal. It was now the third Sunday of the month. All the business owners knew what it meant as well. Rent Day. Mr. Gold usually made his rounds in the morning in random order, but now he'd wait until lunch time to visit Granny. Mr. Gold stopped outside to diner and looked at the dog that had followed him all morning.

"Stay."

He knew Draco really didn't need to be ordered, but he did it anyway. The Golden Shepard(Golden Retriever+German Shepard) rested his head on his paws and closed his eyes. Gold smiled a bit before entering.

For five women in the diner, time stopped. Emma nearly choked while Mary Margret and Ashley avoided his gaze. Though he was used to strange looks, Mr. Gold was slightly confused. What had he done this time? He soon shrugged it off and took a seat on a stool beside Annabelle who greeted him with a kiss.

"Afternoon, love. Has something happened that I should know about?"

Belle froze for a second."No. Not that I know of. Why?"

"No reason."

Ruby came out of the kitchen, saw Gold, and immediately walked right back in. Inside the kitchen, there was radio that could broadcast through the entire dinner, and she practically ran to it. Emma had made them agree not to bring up the movie, but she hadn't said a thing about the soundtrack. Ruby grabbed the money for Mr. Gold and went to track 2.

_I believe in miracles  
Where you from?  
You sexy thing(You sexy thing you)  
I believe in miracles  
Since you came along  
You sexy thing_

Four sets of eyes widened, and three women bolted from the diner. Draco cracked an eye opened and listened to the laughter coming from down the street. Inside, Ruby came back out, with a surprisingly straight face, and gave a very confused Mr. Gold his money."Anything else?"

The man looked at here as if she'd grown another head."No, dear. That'll be all."

"Don't listen to him, Ruby. He skipped breakfast on me this morning. Give him a BLT."

"Right."

Ruby left with smile, and Gold looked at his wife."Are you sure there's nothing going on?"

_**TBC**_

**I regret nothing! I had to do it. If you want to see the scene where Robert strips(sort of)remove the spaces and go here.**

www. dailymotion video /xhr1mo _ gaz-first-dance _ shortfilms ? search_algo =1


	7. 7 Respect

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

One day Belle asks him a question he's unsure how to answer. He is spinning like usual, and she's sitting beside him with a book he's sure she's read before with Draco asleep beside her. Suddenly, she looks up from it and asked him the strangest thing,"Why aren't you a king?"

Rumpelstiltskin turned looked up from his spinning and at her."What?"

She marked her page and set her book aside."You have a castle, gold, and more power than anyone. You could easily rule every kingdom known to man."

"I'll admit, the thought occurred to me when I first got my powers, but I quickly got rid of that idea."

Belle rested her head on his knee."What changed your mind?"

"I learned the hard way that power comes with a price, and I soon figured out that political power is no different. Politicians are just like wizards. They can make people do as they say with just a few words, I didn't need extra problems."

She had to agree with him. The men in her father's court had threatened to remove him if he did not do something about the war."You have a point, but what price would _you_ possibly pay by being king?"

"I'd have to give up this,"he replied gesturing towards the castle. Belle looked confused, so he explained."If I were a king, I'd have no freedom. I'd be bound by responsibilities to my people, and that's not for me. Does that make sense?"

Belle smiled."It does. Your not like the Queen. You'd rather take a little and protect it with all you have than be greedy and take everything just because you could."

He smiled slightly. His Belle was so naive sometimes."Don't judge me so quickly, dearie. The Queen and I have more in common than either of us would care to admit."

"Sure, there are some similarities. You both have done evil things with and without your powers, but your methods are completely different."

"Oh?"He was intrigued now.

"From what you've told me, the Queen harms people out of spite. Right now, I heard she's trying to harm mermaids for no reason. You give people a choice. It's up to them in the end to accept or reject your deal."

"The people I make deals with usually have no other options. Your deal is proof of that."

"But it was still my choice. No one decided my fate but me, and I chose to stay with you forever."

Another small smile formed."Brave Belle. You truly are one of a kind. No one else would have come but you. I can't help but respect you for that."

"You respect me?"

"Of course, dearie. Why do you think I let you go? You were nothing like the spoiled princess I expected you to be and you even came back."

Belle then began to smile."So you are happy that I returned."

"I'm not unhappy, but what made you come back?"

Damn. In all the excitement that day, she hadn't told him about the woman on the road. After he fixed her ankle, she'd forgotten about kissing him. She could do it now. If she did, he'd be human and free of his curse, but did she really want that? Moreover, did he want that? The answer to both questions was no. She couldn't strip him of what made him him. She respected him to much.

"Something just came to me and made me turn around. Besides, Draco would have missed me."

Rumpelstiltskin knew she was lying but dismissed it."He wouldn't have been the only one, Belle."

She stood up, still smiling."And I would have missed you both every day."Belle then bent down and hugged him tightly to her."I mean it, Rum. I don't know what I'd do without you."

He hugged her back and felt his heart flutter at her words. She liked him. She cared about him. She might even, dare he say it, love him. Rumpelstiltskin was broken from his thoughts by banging on his door. He kept his arms around Belle's waist, and she ended up resting on his lap.

"Rum. Wha-"He silenced her just before the Queen barged though his doors.

Dressed in her usual black, she waltzed in as if she owned the place. However, her grin faltered when she saw the pair's position and the dragon at their feet. Draco was awoken by her presence and began growling. He looked ready to attack until Belle told him to heel.

"You should get better locks, Rumpel. You never know who might come in while you're...busy."

"I do have locks, your majesty, it's just that some people have a habit of getting passed them. As for me being busy, it's not my fault if they see something they shouldn't."His voice held its usual jovial tone, but his eyes terrified Belle slightly. She could see the sparks of magic crackling in them, like he was ready to explode any minute."Is there any particular reason as to why you are here?"

"Can't a girl come visit her old friends?"

Old friends? Then it all clicked. The Queen was the woman on the road. She'd planned for her to Rumpelstiltskin to break his curse. Belle looked down at Rumpel with a slight smile, and he looked up in time to see it. He knew she has something planned and began smiling as well. Ever the brave one, Belle put her arm around him and rubbed his shoulders. Surprisingly, he relaxed a bit.

"Of course she can, but first she'd have to have friends."

His words made the Queen flinch but only for a moment."I see you had no trouble making one."

At that, he laughed."No trouble? This girl has caused me nothing but trouble."

Belle smiled to herself and thumped Rumpel's temple."You love it. Without me you'd be bored like you were before."

He pulled her closer, and smiled cheekily up at her."You do add an element of excitement to my life. For that, I am grateful."

"As you should be."

Their smiles mirrored each others, both equally mischievous. They were admitting their feelings for each other _and _irritating the Evil Queen in the process. Rumpelstiltskin could feel her anger resonating from across the room. Regina was too easy sometimes.

"So the rumors are true. Beauty truly is with the Beast, willingly no less."

"If you wanted the truth about the rumors, you could have asked anyone,"Belle accused, still smiling."There are people in the village near here that know _just_ how close we are."

"I just wanted to see for myself. If you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to."

The Dark One tipped his head slightly as black smoke surrounded the Queen before she was gone from sight. Now alone, Rumpelstiltskin's grip on Belle's wast loosened just a bit, and the two looked at each other.

"Her little spy has been watching and told her of us. That is why I cover the mirrors."

"She can see through mirrors?"He nodded gravely."What else can she do?"

"Lots of terrible, horrible things. Almost as much as I can."

"Almost?"

"I have more experience than she, but she is a quick study. You must be very careful from now on Belle. She knows of us and would stop at nothing to see the both of us dead or worse. I will continue to protect you kingdom as long as your father does nothing foolish."

"He won't."

However, there was no force behind her words. Part of her knew that her father would act foolishly. He may be even crazy enough to side with the Queen to get her back. Rumpel expected the same thing.

"And if he does?"

He hated asking that. If she had to chose between hm and her father, he knew which one she'd pick. Belle saw the sadness in his eyes and immediately knew what he was thinking. She rested her head on his shoulder and began drawing lazy circles on his other arm.

"Then you will be free from your debt and have me as well."

He tilted his head slightly to look at her, but her eyes told him that she was not lying."Then again, maybe I should let Maurice come."

She smacked his shoulder softly."You're terrible. I can't let my father's soldiers get slaughtered by you and Draco just so you can have me with no strings attached."

He grinned evilly at her."You'll have make it worth my while, dearie."

"I think have one way."

Without warning, she lunged forward and kissed him. I was short enough not to change him but long enough to make a statement. Draco saw them at let out a stream to flame from his nose happily. The couple broke apart and looked at him, still grinning.

"I guess he was waiting for us to finally kiss as much as I was,"Belle said.

Still confused, Rumpel spoke,"You were waiting?"

"Yes, but you were so oblivious, I had to take matters into my own hands."

"Well, feel free to do it again anytime, dearie. I was trying to be a gentleman."

"Don't. Just be you, alright?"

Rumpelstiltskin merely nodded and realized then that he truly loved her. He'd tell her later so as not to scare her now, but he had a feeling already she knew.

_**TBC**_


	8. 8 Peace

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

Ever since the Queen's visit, Rumpelstiltskin had been on edge. Belle had told him what had happened in the woods, and he immediately wanted to go kill the witch. Belle had stopped him by pointing out that she probably expected him to do that.

"Besides,"she'd said."She was obviously shocked to see you still the Dark One with me in your lap. So, I either hadn't kissed you yet, or it must not be True Love. Given the rumors, she probably believes the latter, but both are true as of now."

Again, she had been right. This gave them an edge, but it didn't stop him from being nervous. He began triple checking the spells he had laid out around the castle to protect her. However, all magic came at a price. Belle could see that he was practically dead on his feet and sighed. She didn't want to do this, but he left her no alternative. Removing his dagger from its sheath, Belle went to his room and called him. As she expected, he was there in a flash and confused.

"Belle. What are you doing?"

"What I should have done sooner."She raised the dagger for him to see."Rumpelstiltskin, strip."

"WHAT?"He then began fighting to keep his arms at his sides.

Belle could help it then. She had to laugh at the look on his face."I've already seen you naked. You don't have to be embarrassed."He was blushing now, she was sure.

"That...That was an accident."

"I know, but I still remember it fondly. If it'll make you feel better, I settle for just your shirt and boots."

Good. He was already tired, and fighting the dagger wasn't easy. After complying, he spread his arms out."Satisfied?"

"Almost. Now, into bed with you."He teleported there against his will and landed on the soft mattress. When was the last time he'd come to bed? He didn't remember it being so nice. Belle came and stood over him with a smile."Comfy?"

He stretched like a cat, and they both heard several of his bones pop."Ooh. Better than my chair. If you wanted to get me into bed, dearie, all you had to do was ask."

"I know but keeping you there would have been a problem without this. Now, roll over."

He did as he was told but grumbled,"I'm not a dog, love."

He heard her laugh before he felt a weight on his back. Belle was straddled him easily and held down his shoulder when he tried to move. When he stopped struggling, she began massaging him."I know, but you've been working yourself like one. You need a break, Rum."

Damn that felt good. Where had she learned that? Rumpelstiltskin felt his body relax of its own accord."Can't. Gotta protect you."

"I'm fine. I have the Dark One and a dragon guarding me in this castle. I know you'll keep me safe. Now try and relax, please?"

He sighed but it sounded more like a moan."Alright. I'll stop working so late and try to relax."

"Good. You can start by not leaving this bed for a while and getting some sleep."

He adjusted his shoulders on the pillows."Can you finish the massage first?"

She laughed again."Of course, Rum."

He was tenser than he'd been when the Queen visited, but Belle's hands seemed to work magic on the knots. After a few minutes, he felt himself relax completely and began dozing off. Belle noticed him and stopped. She got off of him and was about to leave when he grabbed her wrist.

"Don't leave."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

He smiled a bit and rolled over to face her. After stripping down enough to be comfortable, Belle crawled into bed next to him. Rumpel's arm wrapped around her, pulled her back to his chest. She didn't mind even when her buried his nose in her hair. She smelled heavenly and allowed him to have a moment of peace. It wasn't long before he began to snore softly, completely asleep. Belle smiled to herself and ran her fingers along his arm. Beauty had tamed the Beast after all.

**TBC**


	9. 9 Bets

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

When it rained in Storybrook, it really really rained. There was no chance of going outside without getting drenched, so ones best option was to wait it out. Once that was decided the only problem left to deal with was the boredom

"So much for our spring get away,"Mr. Gold said, staring out the window of the cabin.

Belle came to stand beside him with two cups of tea and handed him one. He smiled slightly at the sight of the chipped come and took a sip. The warmth was welcomed, and Belle wrapped her arm around him.

"It's alright, love. At least I have you all to myself."He kissed her forehead and leaned more of his weight on his cane. The cold was making his leg give him hell. Belle felt him shift and tugged on his jacket."Lets sit by the fire. I'm freezing."

He complied and immediately felt relief when they stretched out. He placed his cup on the nearby table which Draco was sleeping underneath. Belle curled up against him and sighed. Even if they were stranded in the rain, she was happy next to him. She felt his head rest on hers and knew he was just as happy but bored as she was."Rum."

"Hmm?"

"Is there anything here to do?"

"I can think of a few things to do, dearie."

Belle smacked his chest, and he chuckled."Not that, pervert. I'm still sore from this morning, and don't you dare start looking smug."

He tried and failed, and she hit him again."Alright, alright. How about we play a game?"

"Anything but Monopoly."

"Why?"

"I don't trust you not to embezzle."

"I would not and still win. What about poker? I think I left some cards here once."

"Sounds like fun, but what will we bet with?"

He smiled evilly into her hair."I was thinking strip poker."

"Rum!"

"What? It'll be fun, dearie."

"I just learned to play a week ago with Ruby."

"I promise to go easy on you then."

"Fine. I'll get the cards."

* * *

After a few minutes, Belle found the deck of cards in in the kitchen pantry. Gold, of course, had no idea how they got there and dismissed it as he shuffled the deck. Once finished, he handed them to Belle to deal. After cutting the cards, she began dealing like professional.

"We're playing 5-card stud, Jokers wild, and jewelry does not count as clothing."

Gold raised an eyebrow but said nothing as he took his cards. His Belle wasn't as bad as she claimed, and the first four hands went to her. He grumbled and watched her delight as he lost his suit jacket, tie, and shoes.

"I thought you said you just learned a week ago?"he asked, dealing this time.

He say her sly smile before she took her cards."I did, but I never said I was bad. The girls are viscous players, especially Mary Margret."

At this, he laughed."The school teacher?"

"Don't let the innocent look fool you. That woman cleaned us all out one night."

"Right,"he said still unconvinced."I'm beginning to think you played me, my dear."

Belle smiled again and took two cards."Played is such an ugly word. I simply exploited you lack of knowledge of my skills."

"You've been hanging around me too long, dearie. You're picking up my habits. Soon you be extorting people with their overdue book fees."

She simply laughed at him."Hardly."

Luck finally decided to come to him, and Gold one the next three hands. Belle's shoes, and jacket were soon thrown beside his. They continued playing, both winning hands, until he sat in only a T-shirt and his boxers while she was down to her bra and panties.

"Seems we're nearing the end, dearie,"he said as she dealt."How about we make it interesting?"

"I'm listening."

"The one who's completely naked first loses and must please the winner any way he or she chooses for the rest of our stay here."

"Sounds promising. I'm in. Just know that you're screwing me until I tell you stop when I win."

Gold barely suppressed a shudder at the thought."Just for that, I might lose on purpose."

"I wouldn't. You're going to be the one on top during the entire thing. How long can you stay 'straight'?"She dropped her cards, revealing a five, six, seven, eight, and nine of different suits.

He smiled at this."Long enough, dearie. So long that it's a good thing we don't have a 'full house'."

She glared at the Queens and Jacks in his hand before removing her bra and throwing it at his head. His smile remained as he removed the undergarment and tossed it aside."I don't know why you're angry. I've seen it all before."

"Keep talking and you'll never see 'it' again! Besides, I'm getting cold over here."

"Oh, I can see that."

Belle noticed where his gaze had went and crossed her arms over her chest."Just deal."He did so happily, but despite his hopes, did not win the round and lost his shirt."Well, well, well. Looks like this is the tie breaker. Lets see those cards, lover."

"So it would seem, dearie. Just know you played well."He turned his hand to her, revealing four kings and an ace."But not well enough.

"Getting ahead of ourselves, aren't we? I hate to remind you, but there is something that can beat that."

"You can't possibly-"

She placed her cards down before him with a smile."Read 'em and weep."An Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and Ten all of Diamonds were before him."Diamonds really are a girl's best friend. Then again, always did prefer gold."

"You have both on your finger, dearie."

She looked at her wedding ring and smiled."That I do. Now, I do believe one of us isn't supposed to be in clothing.

With a sigh, Gold heaved himself up and dropped his boxers."Happy?"

After eying her naked husband with a smile, Belle nodded."Immensely."He began retrieving his clothes, but she stopped him."You won't be needing those for a while."

She then stalked off to the bedroom leaving him alone with a still snoozing Draco. His smile soon matched hers as he went after her.

_**TBC**_


	10. 10 Training

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

Dinner at the Dark Castle was an unusual affair. Rumpelstiltskin sat in his usual place at the head of the table while Belle served him before she took a place at his right. Draco, who was now as long and as high as the table on all fours, sat to his left with his own dish. Occasionally, the dragon would nuzzle his master's leg, and Rumpelstiltskin would then reach down and pet him. One day, he comments of Draco's size aloud.

"Draco's gotten bigger, wouldn't you say Belle?"

Belle looked up from her plate."He has grown. Pretty soon he'll be so big we can ride him."

"That'll be a sight, but first he's got to get used to the larger set of wings. Usually, the mother dragon teaches her young to fly at this age, but that's not an option at the moment."

"I wonder why,"she said innocently.

"I didn't know he was in the bloody egg,"Rumpel mumbled."Besides, I know someone who can train him for us."

"There are people who train dragons?"

"There aren't any exactly, but I have special connections."

Part of Belle didn't like the sly grin that formed on his face.

* * *

The next day Rumpelstiltskin revealed his plan. His old friend turned out to be the sorceress, Maleficent. Next to him and the Queen, she was one of the most powerful wielders of magic, and unlike the Queen, she didn't mind Rumpelstiltskin too much.

"Mal! How have you been? It's been ages since we talked."

Maleficent looked at the imp with a small smile."Too long, Rumpel. I see that the rumors are true,"she said, looking at Belle.

"Some of them are, but that's not why I am here. I'm cashing in that favor you owe me in exchange for your help."

"Ah, yes. That sleeping spell you gave me. What is it that you need?"

Rumpelstiltskin stepped aside and let Maleficent see Draco."I need you to teach him to fly."

The sorceress stood from her throne and came to examine Draco. Surprisingly, he didn't growl at her as he'd done with the Queen."Isn't he the cutest thing? What is he, eight months old?"

"Nine as of last week,"Belle answered.

"Good. I can start immediately. Give me a week with him, and he'll be flying like a bird."

"Excellent!"Rumpel gave a small bow."Consider your debt erased."

Maleficent nodded before disappearing from view. Belle knelt down and rubbed Draco's head. He whined at the thought of leaving them for a week, but she comforted him. As she and Rumpelstiltskin made their way out, Belle looked at him."How is she going to teach Draco to fly?"

Rumpel stopped."Wait for it."There was a deafening roar, and they both turned around. In front of Draco stood a huge black dragon."Mal is the best shapeshifter I know. Being a dragon is second nature to her, so Draco is in good hands."

* * *

"Are you sure he's alright, Rum?"Belle asks him a few days later.

"I'm sure he's fine, dearie. Maleficent has a pet unicorn of her own, so she knows how to take care of even the strangest of pets. She's very compassionate towards beasts of all kinds."

"That would explain why she can stand you."

Rumpelstiltskin looked up from the bottles and potions on the table with a smile."Very funny, Belle. Keep talking like that, and I'll show just how much of a 'beast' I can be."

Belle laughed and marked the place in her book."You don't have the heart. Deep down, you're just a harmless puppy."

All she heard was his growl before he had her pinned against the settee. Both her wrists were held above her head by one of his hands as he grinned down at her."Scared?"

"Of you? Never!"She the began struggling against him.

"Brave Belle."He ran his free hand down the underside of her arm and watched her squirm."Lets see how brave you are when I'm done."He then snapped his fingers, and her hands were locked in place. Now able to use both hands, Rumpelstiltskin preceded to tickle here until tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Rum! This isn't funny!"She shrieked between her laughter.

"Than why are you laughing, dearie?"he said before laughing harder himself.

Eventually, he stopped and fell back on the other end of the settee before releasing Belle's hands. Once her hands were free, she grabbed the pillow between them and began beating him over the head with it.

"You jerk!"Rumpelstiltskin began laughing once more and caught her around the waist. He easily pulled her down, and she soon stopped struggling and relaxed against him."I hate you."

He smiled into her hair and hugged her tighter."No you don't."

Belle hugged him right back."Yes, I do. I'm going to leave you and go marry Gaston."

He chuckled and closed his eyes."I hope you don't mind thorns then."

She laughed with him. Her eyes then snapped open when she realized what he'd said."Thorns? Rumpel you didn't?"

"He's fine. The spell keeps him from wilting, but you might have amputated his legs."

"Change him back!"

Rumpel finally opened his eyes."Why should I? The little whelp came here demanding I release you. He should have known better. He's lucky I didn't turn him into something worse."

Alright, change of plans. Belle threaded her fingers through his hair and watched his eyes fall closed again. Deep down he was a harmless puppy, and puppies loved being petted. He growled lazily and dropped his head to the crook of her shoulder. Rumpelstiltskin knew what she was doing but was momentarily powerless. She smelled took damn good for him to move.

"Please, Rum. Just reverse the spell and send him home. My father's probably thinks you roasted him alive and ate his brain or something."

"He obviously doesn't have that much of a brain if he came here, so there's nothing for me to eat,"he mumbled.

She tugged his hair sharply."Rum!"

Rumpelstiltskin sighed."Fine."He waved his hand without letting her go."There. Happy now?"

"Yes."Belle rolled over in his arms and settled against him once again."Thank you."

He merely grumbled but stopped when she kissed his cheek. Belle knew that he'd only done what he did to Gaston for the same reason he'd tickled her minutes before. He did things like that just to make her happy. Yep, he was just a harmless puppy on the inside, and dagger or no dagger, she had trained him well.

_**TBC**_


	11. 11 Changes

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

Nervousness was not something Mr. Gold felt. He was always seen calm and collected no matter what. Usually, nothing could rattle this man. But the sight of Belle in that sexy blue cocktail dress made him nearly drop his cane. She glided down the stairs with every bit of grace she had when she was a princess. Her shoes matched the dress while some of her hair was held up but most of it hung down. When she reached him, Belle smiled up at him, and he was left speechless. She stunning. Draco barked, and he then remembered how to breathe again

"I'm glad you like the dress."

He licked his dry lips and smiled."I love it."

"Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself."

He's dressed in one of his best three piece suits. The shirt underneath it is only a shade or two dark than her dress, and he's wearing the gold tie she bought him for Christmas."Of course, dearie. I always look my best."

Belle looped an arm through his and pulled him out the door with a laugh."You forget that I see you when you wake up, love."

"I'm not that bad."

"You look like a cat's resting on you head. It is kind of cute though."Mr. Gold shuddered at the word 'cute' and opened the car door for her.

"I'll ignore that,"he said once he was inside.

"Fine. I have my pictures."

He nearly slammed on the brakes at that, and Belle was thankful that traffic in Storybrook isn't that heavy."You had better be joking."

"I am."Belle smiled at the small victorybut stopped none the less . Even with little traffic, Gold was a reckless driver. Besides, he didn't need to know about the shots of him on her phone.

"Good."

Since Storybrook wasn't the largest town, getting to the restaurant took very little time. Le Petit Poisson was the most expensive place in town, and Gold loved seafood. After a particularly successful deal, he'd go there and treat himself. The fact that he owned the place helped him acquire his own private booth in the back of the restaurant. No reservations required. Belle also knew the other reason his liked the restaurant. He had a twisted sense of humor. He found it hilarious that mermaids worked in and ran a restaurant that served seafood.

"You need help,"she said once they were seated.

"You like coming here just as much as I do."

"Yes, but I like coming here for the food and music. You come here to smile like a maniac at the waitresses just to scare them."

Said maniac smile appeared on his face."I have to have my fun some how, dearie. I need to do something to take my mind off of the horrible sounds in this place."

"You're the one who wanted to come on a Friday when you know full well it's karaoke night."

Mr. Gold simply grumbled and buried his face in his menu. Belle 2 Gold 0. Eventually, someone came to take their order and brought the wine Gold had requested. With their orders taken, the waitress left the bottle between the two. Their dinner was brought quickly, but he was distracted throughout the meal. He was too fixated on he to eat.

He'd taken her out plenty of times, and each time they attracted stares. Neither ever cared. Sometimes, they cut dinner short, and Gold had half a mind to do that now. How a woman could look so sexy eating he'd never know. The sight of the small trail of butter from her lobster running down her chin was driving him mad. Belle looked up at her date for the evening and noticed that something was off.

"Are you alright, love?"

He finally caught her eye and gave her a small smile."Fine, dearie. Couldn't be better."

"Hm. I remember why you come here. The lobster's delicious. Have you tried it?"

"No, I don't think have."

"Here."She dipped a bit of the meat in butter and held it up.

Without a thought, he leaned forward and took her offering. She was right. It was good. As he chewed, Belle leaned forward and did what he'd been dying to do all night before kissing him. He didn't resist, enjoying the taste of seafood and wine on her lips as much as she did on his.

"A napkin would have sufficed, love,"he said after pulling away.

She smiled at him deviously."But it wouldn't have been nearly as fun."

Gold smiled back at her, and they soon lapse into a comfortable silence. After a while, however, he forces himself to break it."Belle?"

She took a sip of wine. Damn he had good taste in alcohol."Hmm?"

"Are you...are you happy with me?"

Oh no. She remembered the last time he'd asked her that and glared at him."Don't you dare."

"What?"

"I remember what happened the last time you asked me that. I'm not going through that again. So, if you brought me here just to break up with me, you've got another thing coming."

"Belle I don't want to leave you. We've been together for a while, and I just want you to be sure that I'm the one you want."

Belle let out a strangled cry and stood up."I'm sick of people asking me that. Granny, Ruby, my father, and even Archie each ask me that at least once a week. I'm going to the bathroom, and maybe when I get back you'll have stopped acting like a coward."

Gold watched her storm off and immediately felt empty. He polished off his glass of wine before pouring himself another glass and downing that too. When waitresses noticed Belle's departure and the look on his face, they cringed. This was not good. After minutes of debate, an unlucky ex-mermaid was sent to ask about Belle.

"Will your date be returning, Mr. Gold?"The glare she received terrified her, but he said nothing."Why don't I just come back later?"

"Why don't you do that? Though, I will have another bottle of wine since you are so eager to help."

The startled woman scurried off, and Mr. Gold set about finishing the bottle of wine. Well, this wasn't how he'd hoped for the evening to go. The little black box he had now seemed to burn the pocket it was in. At least the no talent singer had gotten off the stage, but another was about to take his place.

_Some say I'll be better without you  
But they don't know you like I do  
Or at least the sides I thought I knew  
I can't bear this time  
It drags on as I lose my mind  
Reminded by things I find  
Like notes and clothes you left behind  
Wake me up, wake me up when all is done  
I won't rise until this battle's won  
My dignity's become undone_

This one wasn't that bad. Wait a second. He knew that voice. Gold looked up and saw Belle at the mic. Her eyes were closed since she knew the song by heart. He'd caught her singing bits and pieces once or twice at home. Wow. She sounded better than he remembered.

_But I won't go  
I can't do it on my own  
If this ain't love then what is?  
I'm willing to take the risk  
I won't go  
I can't do it all alone  
If this ain't love then what is?  
I'm willing to take the risk._

_So petrified, I'm so scared to step into this ride  
What if I lose my heart and fail declined?  
I won't forgive me if I give up trying  
I heard his voice today  
I didn't know a single word he said  
Not one resemblance to the man I met  
Just a vacant, broken boy instead._

Everyone in the restaurant was enjoying it, but only one knew why she was singing that song. Gold smiled and sat back in his chair. _I hear you, dearie. I'm sorry for doubting you._

_But I won't go I can't do it on my own  
If this ain't love then what is?  
I'm willing to take the risk  
I won't go  
I can't do it all alone  
If this ain't love then what is?  
I'm willing to take the risk_

_There will be times, we'll try and give it up  
Bursting at the seams, no doubt  
We'll almost fall apart then burn the pieces  
To watch them turn to dust but nothing will ever taint us_

_I won't go  
I can't do it on my own  
If this ain't love then what is?  
I'm willing to take the risk  
I won't go  
I can't do it all alone  
If this ain't love then what is?  
I'm willing to take the risk_

_Will he? Will he still remember me?  
Will he still love me even when he's free?  
Or will he go back to the place where he would chose the poison over me?  
When we spoke yesterday you said to hold my breath, to sit and wait  
I'll be home so soon, I won't be late_

At that moment, Belle opened her eyes and looked dead at him. He smiled at her from the back of the room, and she smiled back as she finished up.

_He won't go  
He cant do it on his own  
If this ain't love then what is?  
He's willing to take the risk_

_So I won't go  
He can't do it on his own  
If this ain't love then what is?  
We're willing to take the risk_

_'Cause he won't go  
He can't do it on his own  
If this ain't love then what is?  
We're willing to take the risk_

_I won't go  
I can't do it on my own  
If this ain't love then what is?  
I'm willing to take the risk _

The band played the finally notes and a cheered went up. However, Belle was only concerned about the man clapping in the very back of the room. The cheers were seceded by the shouts of encore. Gold could see her blushing and gave her a slight nod as encouragement. Her next song ended up being One and Only, and Gold stood up halfway through the song.

Everyone's eyes were on her, but Belle noticed him coming toward her but kept going. He remained that way for the rest of the song. He simply stood there a little ways away from the stage with that infamous secret smile on his face. When she finished, another round of cheers was heard, and she got of the stage and made her way to Gold.

"You were amazing, dearie."

She blushed and buried her face in his jacket."I wasn't that good."

He tilted her chin up to look at him."The round of applaud says otherwise. I'm sorry for doubting you, love."

"I know. I'm sorry for freaking out. I'm just sick of people telling me to leave you. I couldn't stand hearing it from you too."

"I know, but I have a way to silence them."He reached into his jacket and pulled out the box."That is. if you'll have it."

Belle gasped and watched him open it to reveal the beautiful ring inside."Rum."

"I know most men are usually on one knee, but I'm afraid that's out of the question. So what do you say? Will you marry this evil old crippled fossil?"

She smiled at him."You're not that old, and yes. Yes, I will marry you."

Her tone instantly reminded him of when she'd agreed to his deal, and he couldn't stop smiling as he slid the ring on her hand. It looked as if t belonged there, and if she had anything to say, it would never come off. Belle admired the ring for a second before kissing him.

"Things are going to change now, dearie."He didn't just mean their marriage. Less than a year was left before the Savior would arrive. When she did, everything would be different.

She understood what he meant and hugged him tighter."I know, but we'll get through it. Nothing will split us up, Regina be damned."

Gold smiled down at her. He had to agree with her. If Regina or anyone else tried to come between them, he'd personally to see to t that they didn't live to see their plan finish. They had a chance for happiness in this world, and he wasn't letting anyone screw it up. Not even himself.

_**TBC**_


	12. 12 Counting Seconds

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

He could feel it coming. Even from his cell under the earth, Rumpelstiltskin could feel the curse activating. In a few seconds, they'd be gone from this world and into another. Snow White and her husband could do nothing to stop it. He had had the Queen to thank. Though he'd made it, Rumpelstiltskin knew he could never activate it himself.

All magic had a price, and the curse's was the heart of thing you loved most. The thing he loved most was too precious too kill. His Belle. She was probably at the Dark Castle with Draco worried about him. He'd explained what he was going to do before he left. How he was going to let Cinderella capture him and put him away. Rumpelstiltskin smiled at the memory. He had forced her to promise not to come after him.

His brave Belle had hugged hm then and took off her necklace. She'd had it since she'd come to stay and never taken it off. It had been her mother's she told him as she clasped it around his neck. Her mother had gotten it from an old fortune teller who said it was good luck. When she passed, it came to Belle.

"_Are you sure it's good luck, dearie? I'm going to need it,"he'd said standing outside the castle._

_She smiled a smile he'd remember forever. It was the only thing that kept him from going mad in his cell."I know it is. It lead me to you."_

_He'd kissed her so hard and long that he almost changed himself back. Luckily, Belle pulled away before he lost his odd coloring completely. They heard two huge wings flap and looked up. Draco, fully grown and as big as the castle, landed beside them. He'd bowed his large head before them and whined. Rumpelstiltskin went over to him and rubbed his snout._

"_I know, but everything will be fine. Look after Belle while I'm gone, will you? Make sure she doesn't get into trouble."_

_Draco closed his eyes and nudged him with another whine. He had then turned back to Belle then with a smile before disappearing. _

His hand went to his throat, and he clutched the gold chain there. One of the guards had tried to take it from him when they dragged him in, and the man wouldn't be handling a sword anytime soon. Rumpelstiltskin smiled evilly at the thought before the earth shook.

Belle's smile was the last thing on his mind as the spell hit the castle. He knew she wouldn't remember him in this knew world, but he'd make her. Everything would be alright in a few seconds.

_**TBC**_


	13. 13 Minutes Missing

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

After the curse is activated, it took Rumpelstiltskin a few minutes to clear his head. False memories from this world mix with his original ones, and he was forced to sift through them both. He wasn't Rumpelstiltskin anymore. Now, he's Mr. Gold. Infamous and feared throughout Storybrook. At least Regina let him keep his reputation.

Mr. Gold sits up and feels a pain in his leg he hasn't felt in years. Of course. No magic in the world means that he's crippled again. Looking around, he finds a black cane with a gold handle beside the bed. He grabs it and heads to the closet to find it full of suits. After picking one, Gold heads downstairs slightly uncomfortable in the clothing. Once downstairs, he found a huge golden dog on his couch.

"Draco?"

The dog's eyes opened, and he looked up at Mr. Gold. At the sight of his master, the dog barked happily and bounded towards him.

"Hello, boy. Where's Belle?"

At the word Belle, Draco stopped moving. He simply bowed his head and whined. It took minutes for Gold to realize that something had happened while he was away. He's terrified at first. Maybe she'd gotten tired of waiting and left. No. She wouldn't do that. Clutching the necklace around his neck, Gold sat down to think it over. Who could get to her? Even with him gone, she had a dragon guarding her. Then it hit him. There was only one person he knew that could get past a dragon without killing it.

It's not long before he's at Regina's new home. He realizes the irony in her making herself mayor. It seems that the people still hate her as well. Mr. Gold doesn't bother knocking. He knows that she remembers her original life and probably feels the same way he does. As he suspected, she comes down the stairs to stand before him, obviously irritated.

"Don't you ever knock?"

"I'm merely returning the favor, your majesty. Now, where is she?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Gold knew she was lying, and his grip on his cane tightened."You know full well who I'm talking about. So if you would _please_ stop toying with me. Where. Is. Belle?"

For a moment, he saw fear in her eyes."She's locked away in the basement of the hospital."

He smiles slightly and thanks her for her assistance. Mr. Gold turns to leave but stops himself and turns back to look Regina in the eyes.

"One more thing. If you bother Belle again, I'll make sure my next request isn't so simple."

Never one to back down, even if she's out matched, Regina glared at him."Are you threatening me?"

"No, I'm merely informing you on how the way things are going to be from now on. I'm willing to overlook anything you do so long as what's mine is left alone. However, if Belle is harmed...let's just say I can't be held responsible if something were to happen to you. Do we understand each other?"

Regina knows that he isn't bluffing, but her glare remains in place as she speaks."Yes."

He gives her an evil grin."Good. It's been a pleasure as always, your majesty.

_**TBC**_


	14. 14 Hours Lost

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

In an hour, Belle was free, but as Gold expected, she doesn't remember him. Here, her name is Annabelle French but she is still the same Belle he knew. She's brave enough to come with him despite having no memory off him what so ever.

"Have a seat by the fire, dearie. It'll warm you up,"he said once they reached his home.

She's a bit wary of him, but she smiles at the gesture."Thank you."

She shrugs off his suit jacket and heads to the den. He is about to hang it up when he hears a shriek. Worried, he heads to the den as fast as possible. The sight in the room makes him smile. Happy to see his mistress again, Draco had pounced on Belle and was licking her face. For the first time in a while, he hears her laugh again and begins laughing himself.

Belle manages to wrangle Draco away and freezes at the sound. She hears that same high pitched laugh and it all comes flooding back. Memories of the war, their deal, getting Draco, their time together all return. After a moment of enjoying his laughter, she smiles.

"Some help you turned out to be."

He catches his breath but is still smiling."You seemed to have it under control."

"You're an ass, Rum."

It's his turn to freeze."What did you say?"

She manages to move to the couch but is still followed by Draco."That you're an ass."

"No. At the end. What did you call me?"

"Rum. Your name. Did you get hit on the head when they captured you?"

He falls onto the couch, dazed."You remember? How?"

"You're kind of hard to forget, love."She reached up and took his face in her hands."But this is going to take some getting used to. I think I liked you better before."

"Really?"

Belle nods and brings her arms to circle his neck, pulling him closer."Yes, but there is one good thing."

"And what would that be, dearie?"

"I can kiss you for as long as I want now."

His eyes widened seconds before she pulled him in for a kiss. Gold is shocked at first but quickly returned the kiss. It seems like hours before they come up for air, gasping for breath. When Belle pulled away, he immediately went after her throat, but she pushes him off before he can leave a lasting mark. There's time for that later.

"Lets head upstairs."

This makes him freeze again."Are you sure, love? Do really want me to be your first?"

"Rum, we've waited years for this. If you're not going to be my first, who is?"

He smiles at the sentiment sweetly before grinning evilly at her."You realize that I'm not going to let you come down for hours."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

**_TBC_**


	15. 15 Sick Days

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

Some days Mr. Gold didn't feel like getting up. Unlike Belle, he'd never been a morning person. That woman was always up early would leave him to sleep while she made breakfast. When she finished, she'd come back upstairs and wake him up. Today, he _really_ didn't want to get up. With a groan, he rolled away from Belle and pulled the covers over his head.

"Go away."

She moved to the other side of the bed."You have to get up, Rum. It's the third Sunday remember."

"I'll collect tomorrow."

Now, she knew something was wrong. Nothing ever stopped him from collecting rent. After peeling back the covers, Belle found that he looked horrible."You're sick."

"What? I never get sick."He was proven wrong when he let out two large sneezes."Damn."

"Well, you are today,"she said with a laugh before pressing her hand to his forehead. As she suspected, he was burning up."Go back to sleep. I'll bring you some tissues and stuff in a minute."

Gold nodded tiredly as she smoothed his hair back before pulling the covers back around him. Belle smiled when he closed his eyes. It was strange seeing him so helpless but cute none the less. Once she knew he was asleep, she silently left the room and headed downstairs. Draco lifted his head when she came into the kitchen without Gold. Belle gave him a quick scratch between the ears.

"He's sick, boy. Go keep upstairs and him company while I get him some soup but don't wake him."

The former dragon barked softly before heading upstairs.

* * *

After forcing her husband to eat and take the cough medicine(with help from Draco who held hm down while she shoved the spoon in his mouth), Belle left him to sleep once again. She was curled up on the couch reading when she heard a knock and rushed to answer it before it woke the sleeping man upstairs. She was surprised to find that it was Emma looking slightly worried but let her in.

"Hey. Emma. Something wrong?"

"Yeah. Some of the people in town are getting worried. They say that Mr. Gold didn't come around to collect money from them this morning,"the sheriff said."The main rumor is that you finally killed him."

"Their concern is touching, but he's fine. He's upstairs sick."

This shocked the blond woman."Gold is sick?"

"He was just as shocked when I made him stay in bed this morning."Then she remembered something."Damn. He used up all the tissue this morning. Emma, can you do me a huge favor and stay here while I get them? I'll be really quick"

"Annie, he's not a kid. He can handle being left alone."

"But he acts like one. Trust me. If that stubborn idiot thinks he's alone when he wakes up, he'll try and get out of bed again, and I'm not picking his dumb ass up when he falls. Hopefully, the medicine will keep him out for a few more hours."

Surprisingly, Emma shrugs off her coat with a laugh."Alright, but how much did you give him?"

"Enough to keep hm out of my hair for a while I hope,"Belle replied with a not-so-innocent smile.

Emma couldn't help but laugh again at this. And the people of Storybrook thought that Mr. Gold was the conniving one. He had nothing on Mrs. Gold.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Emma was in the same position Belle had been on the couch. She had to admit, Belle had a pretty good library in the house. She was reading a worn copy of Jean Eyre when she heard a thump from upstairs. So, Belle was right about Gold being a stubborn idiot. She headed upstairs and is nearly ran over be a fleeing Draco. Gold looked out the door at her with a tired smile. He really was sick.

"Ah, Sheriff Swan. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"Your wife. She said you'd try something stupid if you were by yourself while she went to the store. I can see that she was right"

He mumbled something that sounded like 'she's gotten smarter' before falling back on the bed."It wasn't anything too foolish, I assure you. The dog and I simply had a disagreement."

Emma knew that Gold was at least slightly crazy, but this was a whole new level."You argued...with a dog?"

"He's not as stupid as you think. He had sense enough to hold me down while Belle force fed me that horrible liquid she calls medicine. The little traitor."

"So much for man's best friend."

"Quite."He was silent for a moment before speaking."I am curious as to why she chose you to be my jailer."

"Other than the fact that I've done it before? I came over about ten minutes ago. The town was worried when you didn't come by to collect rent."

"You can tell everyone that I was held hostage by my wife and her hellhound."

Emma chuckled at his blunt sense of humor."I doubt they'll believe me."

"True. She has them all fooled."

"The feared Mr. Gold can be restrained by his wife. Wow."Gold looked over and saw Emma shake her head.

"What's so amusing about that, Miss Swan?"

"It's just that I never pegged you for the kind of guy that settled down and take orders from anyone."

He turned his head straight and stared up at the ceiling."A lot of people were shocked when I took Belle as my wife, but I don't think anyone was as shocked as I was when she said yes."

"You didn't expect her to expect her to accept your proposal?"

"Not one bit."

"Why?"

"Look at me, Miss Swan. Half of the town hates me and the other half fears me. By marrying me, she's not able to even walk down the street without people whispering behind her back. Her own father won't even speak to her now. She lost all chance of living a quiet life in this town when she said 'I do'."He paused to cough."Then there's me."

"What about you? She loves you."

"I know, but I truly have no idea why. I'm not the bravest, strongest, or the nicest person, but for some insane reason she stays with me. That's why for her, I'd try and be all of those things. Even if it killed me."

"You say that as if something bad is going to happen."

Gold smiled knowingly. Despite all of Henry attempts, Emma still didn't believe in the curse. She'd probably listen if it came from an adult. He could convince her right now. No. Best let her figure it out by herself. She'd learn one day. He heard the door slam followed by Draco's barking, and Emma was awoken from her trance-like state.

"I'd better go help Annie with the bags and get going."

"Of course."He coughed again."It's been a pleasure, Miss Swan. And if you don't mind, don't tell Belle I'm awake. She'll try and put me out again."

Emma laughed."Sure thing."

_**TBC**_


	16. 16 Respites

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

"You need a haircut."

Mr. Gold opened his eyes and lifted his head to look up at Belle."You can give me one when we get back. I'm just happy it's not completely gray yet."

She laughed and ran her hand through his hair again. He smiled and dropped his head back onto her lap once again."You can hardly notice it, and I like it."

He let out a content sigh."And I love that you like it."

"I'm not sure who likes to be petted more, you or Draco."

Gold tilted his head and looked at the dog currently chasing the squirrels in the park."Definitely me. I'm not leaving this spot for a while."

"You sure you're not just lazy?"

"If I am, it's your fault. Your food puts me to sleep."

His wife placed her hands on his shoulders and looked down at him."Maybe I should just stop cooking then."

He took her hand and kissed it."I'll be quiet now."

Belle leaned back and opened her book again. Gold sighed and felt her use his head as a rest for it. He didn't mind. A soft breeze blew over them bringing the scent of flowers from nearby over to them. He was now glad that Belle had made him take the day off. Too relaxed to get up, he used his cane to pull the basket Belle had brought towards him. After a moment of rummaging through it, Gold finally pulled out one of the cookies Belle had made. Above him, Belle felt her husband shift and looked up from her book.

"Rum! This is your sixth one today. I swear you're addicted to them."

Gold ate half of the cookie in one bite before answering,"Maybe I am, but they're good!"

"You're hopeless,"Belle said, shaking her head.

"Yes. Hopelessly in love with you and your baking,"he replied before polishing off the rest of the cookie."What book are you reading today?"

Belle knew that he was trying to change to the subject but answered anyway."A collection of Greek myths I found in the library."

"Ah. Sounds cheerful,"he said sarcastically.

"Don't laugh. Some of them are pretty good, and they all teach you a valuable lesson."

"Such as?"

She thought for a moment."Like the story of Narcissus. If he hadn't been so vain and in love with himself, he wouldn't have died the way he did."

"You have a point. Which one is your favorite so far?"

"The story of Persephone."

Mr. Gold smiled at her choice. He knew the story and was not surprised that it was Belle's favorite."A young girl is taken from her home with her single parent to live forever in a dark castle far away with a man who is feared far and wide. Sounds rather familiar, doesn't it?"

Belle smiled and rested her hands on his shoulders again."You know it does sound a bit like a couple I know."

"Oh?"

"Yes."She gave his shoulders a light squeeze."Though not exactly tall and dark, the man is as handsome as they describe Hades to be, and he can still be scary if he were to try hard enough."

"Must you insult my height? I was this size even before was I crippled."

"Sorry. At least you're taller than Leroy and the other dwarfs,"She said with a laugh."Besides, your size makes people underestimate you. I know I did when first saw you."

"You did?"

"Yes, I did. I'd heard stories of the feared Dark One, but when you appeared, my first thought was 'I thought he'd be bigger'."

"I'm guessing Gaston did as well since he ended up like Pirithous as decoration in a castle."

"That boy is still slightly terrified of you because of it, love."

Gold smiled evilly."Good."

"You are a very twisted individual."

"You love me regardless."

"That I do. It's also one of the many reasons people question my sanity."

He patted her hand sympathetically."Don't worry, dearie. They question mine as well."

"I know. _I _question it sometimes. Your little mood swings terrified me when I first moved in with you."

Gold smiled once again and chuckled."I know."

Belle glared down at him."You did it on purpose, didn't you?"He said nothing but didn't stop smiling. She smacked his shoulder."You're an ass, Rum."

"You were the first person to live with me in years. I wanted to have my fun. Can you really blame me?"

Her glare remained for a moment before a small smile formed."No. You enjoy messing with people far too much, and I was the perfect target."

"I knew you'd see things my way."

"You're still an ass."

"I know, but I'm your ass."

Belle simply laughed at him and picked up her book again. Mr. Gold settled his head on her lap once more and closed his eyes. Yes. A day off was just what he needed.

_**TBC**_


	17. 17 Shocks

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

"Checkmate."

Rumpelstiltskin's eyes widened."Impossible."

Belle simply rested her chin on her hand and smiled at him."Look for yourself."

The Dark One turned the board around and looked at the golden pieces again. True to her word, Belle had indeed cornered his king."Dammit. How?"

"That would be telling, Rumpel dear. Now, I believe that's three out of five."

He glared at her and heard a soft clicking. He look out of the window and opened one of them with magic."Quiet you!"The clicking got louder, and Draco lifted his head up to the window.

Belle rose from her seat and went over to the window."Don't listen to him, Draco. He's just a sore loser,"she said, rubbing the grown dragon's scaly head.(Think Glaedr from The Inheritance Cycle in his prime only a few shades darker and with a few scale differences.)

Rumpel crossed his arms."I am not."

She looked back at him and couldn't hold in a giggle."Sure you're not."

"I'm not,"he assured her."Best five out of seven?"

She smiled to herself."No. I think I'll remain content with the knowledge that beat you until next time."

He glared at her once again until a knock on the door was heard."Well, you can be content while you answer the door."

"Yes, Rumpel."

Belle stood and went to answer the door but not without ruffling Rumpelstiltskin's already messy hair as she passed him. At the door, she found a woman only a few years older than herself. She looked tired, as though she'd been traveling for days.

"State your business."

"I'm here to see Rumpelstiltskin. It's important. Is he in?"

"He is. Follow me."Belle stepped back and allowed her in."If it's a deal you're after, I'd advise you to be careful with your words. He's a tricky one."

"So I've heard."

The women reached the main hall to find Rumpelstiltskin still in his chair, resetting the chess board."Who was at the door, dearie? An old woman selling flowers, perhaps?"

"Very funny, but no. Someone wants to deal with you."

At the thought of a deal, Rumpelstiltskin turned only to freeze at the sight of the woman."Belle. Why don't you go on upstairs. I don't think you clean my lab today, did you?"

In fact, she had cleaned it that morning, but Belle left anyway. Something about this woman terrified him, but she'd control her curiosity for now."I'll get on that. I'll just be upstairs if you need me."

Giving Rumple one last look, Belle left the room, and Rumple looked back at the woman."You have a lot of nerve coming here, Elizabeth."

"Can't a wife come visit her husband?"

"You lost the right to call me your husband when you left me and Bae!"he snarled before sighing. His voice then lost its edge, and he looked almost lost."Do you know how hard it was to lie when he asked about you? Why did you do it, Liz?"

"I did what I had to do. I was the laughing stock of our village. I couldn't go out to the market without hearing people call me the wife of a coward. The hardest part was knowing that it was true."

"I'm a coward?"

Elizabeth came forward until they were face to face."Yes! You didn't have the heart to fight like a man, so you ran away. That sounds like a coward to me."

"I came back to take care of you. I watched the men grew up with, all husbands and fathers, die for nothing."

"And you should have died with them!"

With that statement, something in Rumpelstiltskin snapped. He was no longer angry, just numb."Why are you here, Elizabeth?"

"I had hoped we could work things out between us now that you'd changed, but I see I was wrong."

"Indeed you were."

"Yes. You haven't changed at all. I can see myself out."

Emotionally drained, Rumpelstiltskin fell back into his chair with a sigh. After hearing the door slam, he called out,"I know you're there, Belle."

Sheepishly, the girl in question came into the room. There was no pity in her eyes when she looked at him, only concern and understanding."I'm sorry, Rum. I shouldn't have let her in."

Rumpel waved his hand to dismiss the thought."It's not your fault, dearie. How much did you hear?"

"Just the ending, I swear. She's beautiful. I see why you married her."

"Yes. I was lucky, I suppose but it's all ancient history now."

Coming over to him, Belle grabbed his arm and pulled him up. With her arm around his shoulders, she began leading hm to his wheel."You need to think for a bit alone. Take some time and spin. I'll bring you some tea in a minute, and I think there's some cake left from yesterday that's still good."

"Hmm. Have I told you how lost I'd be without you?"

"No. Not lately."

He sat down and looked up at her."Then I'll say it now. I'd be completely and utterly lost without you, Belle."

"I know, Rum."

After kissing his cheek softly, she left for the kitchen, and Rumpel smiled to himself. Elizabeth may have been his first love, but Belle...Belle was something else entirely. He'd wanted to spend the rest of his life with Elizabeth before. Things changed, and now, he _needed_ to have Belle in his life. However long it would be that was something, he was sure, that wouldn't change.

_**TBC**_


	18. 18 Size

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

Once again another loud bang rang out through the Dark Castle. This time the noise came from Rumpelstiltskin's tower. Belle looked up from her book at the ceiling with a scowl before getting up. Time to go check on Rumpel again.

"I swear. If that man has finally managed to blow himself up, I am not picking up the pieces,"Belle muttered to herself. However in the tower, there was no sign of Rumpelstiltskin."Rum. Where are you?"

"Down here!"

The voice shocked her, but Belle looked over at the table covered in potion bottles. There, on the old wooden thing, stood Rumpelstiltskin no taller than a hairbrush.

"Rum? Is that you?"

"Of course it's me, dearie? Who else can get in here?"

Belle leaned down to get a better look at him."What happened to you?"

"A little mishap with a potion. Now, I'm stuck like this."

With a grin, Belle picked him up by his collar, ignoring the small yelp the imp gave."I must say Rumple, you look cuter than normal."

He crossed his arms and glared at her."I am not cute! This size or any other."

"If you say so."Belle then dropped him into the pocket she'd sewn onto her dress."I'm keeping you in there, so I don't step on you by accident."

After a moment of shuffling, Rumpelstiltskin's head popped out of the pocket."It's not like I can do anything today. I'm too short to make anything or spin, and I'm certainly not making any deals looking like this."

Belle laughed at the thought of a pint size Rumpelstiltskin trying to haggle with some poor farmer."I doubt they'd take you seriously after that."

Rumpel let her laugh before snapping,"If you're done laughing, you can take me to the kitchen. I didn't eat this morning."

"And whose fault was that? You're the one who didn't come down because you were working on a potion."

"Believe me. The irony is not lost to me."

Belle laughed as they finally entered the kitchen. She placed Rumpel on the wooden table, and he stared at the kitchen for a moment before spotting the fruit bowl. With a grin, he plucked one of the grapes which was now the size of a baby to him and bit into it. It took him five bites to finish it. Belle laughed at him again.

"I should keep you this size. At least then we wouldn't run out of food so quickly."

Rum swallowed the bit of apple he'd been eating."Don't you dare."

She simply smiled. Suddenly, a hard thumping made him fall out of the bowl. Belle looked out of the window and saw Draco's head appear. Carefully, she reached out the window and rubbed the dragon's snout

"Careful, boy. Rumpel had a little accident today. He's not exactly himself."

The dragon cocked its head to the side, confused, until Belle showed him Rumpelstiltskin. A familiar clicking sound was heard, and the Dark One glared.

"Not you, too."He turned to face Belle."You had to tell him."

The clicking got louder, and Belle barely contained her laughter."I had to Rum. What if you went outside and he accidentally ate you?"

"Excuses, excuses. Just take me back to the library until this wears off."

With a grin, Belle took him back upstairs. Rumpel glared at her as she dropped him on the plush settee and watched him bounce. He watched her grab her book and settle down comfortably. After a while of silence, he got an idea. Carefully, Rumpelstiltskin climbed up Belle's dress and body to find a comfortable seat to read with her. She glared at him then since said comfortable spot was right between her breasts.

"Really, Rum?"

He grinned cheekily before leaning back with his arms folded behind his head."I thought you liked me this size, dearie?"Finding no point in arguing with him, Belle settled back with her book

Hours passed, and the lines one the pages began to blur. As always, that was her sign to stop for the day. With a yawn, she rubbed her eyes and looked down only to end up smile. Rumpelstiltskin was fast asleep on her chest. Carefully, she stretched her legs out farther and closed her own eyes. In a few minutes, both the Dark One and the princess were fast asleep.

Not too long after doing so, Rumpelstiltskin's eyes popped open. He felt the familiar tingle of magic before he was back to his normal size. For moment, he simply looked around, happy to see things from a larger perspective again, before remembering Belle. The shift thankfully hadn't awoken her, and Rumpel returned his head to its previous position atop Belle.

She'd enjoyed his pain today, and he would get his revenge. Just as soon as he wasn't so relaxed.

_**TBC**_


	19. 19 Interlude

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

"I'm a bloody prisoner in own home,"Mr. Gold muttered bitterly.

It was once again ladies night for Belle and her friends, and they'd chosen hold it at _his _house. He was now trapped upstairs in a house full of women. He should have stayed at the shop later. Gold sighed and dried his hair with a towel. He'd just finished taking a nice hot shower, and all he wanted to do now was relax. By the time he woke up in the morning, they'd all be gone. However, things do not always go as planned.

Gold stood at the bathroom sink and opened the cabinet above it only to find that his pills were missing, and only one person would know where there were. However, Belle was currently downstairs surrounded by women that did not particularly care for him. He weighed his options. Option A was to walk into the lion's den and get Belle. Option B was to skip the pills and pray that the pain in his leg went away. Option B was the safest one, but he knew from experience that the pain was not going away on its own. With another heavy sigh, Gold dried his hair again as best he could before heading downstairs.

Oblivious to her husband's plight, Belle was currently dealing with her own problem, and it came in the form of a young woman in red. She'd been suckered into a game thought up by Emma that involved guessing what was in the underwear drawer of the men in Storybrook.

"I'm telling you, David wears boxers,"Ruby said."MM, back me up."

Mary Margret blushed."I've never seen his underwear drawer, thank you. I have no idea."

"Well, Thomas wears briefs, and he loves them,"Ashley said, taking the attention off of Mary Margret.

"I always pegged hm for a tighty whitie man,"Emma said.

"I did too,"Ruby agreed."Annie, do you have anything to add?

"What now? I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Answer the question, Annie."

The girl in question blushed like mad and refused to answer."What question is that?"

"You know damn well what question,"Ruby said."Gold. Boxers or briefs?"

"It's actually neither, dearie. Underwear can be very uncomfortable to me sometimes."

Every female in the room froze. For Ashley and Mary Margret, it was mostly due to the shock of hearing the voice come from the stairs. For Emma and Ruby, it was because of the answer. Belle's had been caused by both. Their shock only increased when they looked at the man who had spoken. Mr. Gold stepped into the room in silk pajama pants with the shirt left open, still wet from his shower. Cane in hand, he went over to Belle as if nothing was wrong.

"May I see you in the kitchen for a second, love?"

Belle snapped out of her stupor and quickly got up. She then began pushing her husband toward the kitchen, careful not to step on Draco. Once inside, Gold received a slap to the back of his head.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"For answering that question. Did you really have to say that?"

"Well, you obviously weren't going to answer her,"he replied, rubbing his head."I was only telling the truth."

Belle put her head in her hands."Have you no shame?"

"Not one bit."

She had the feeling he was going say that."Did you come down for a reason, or are you just here to mentally scar a few young women?"

"A bit of both, actually. I came down to ask you where my pills are when I heard you lovely ladies having the most _interesting _conversation."

He was grinning at her now, and she kept glaring at him."Must you be an ass this late in the day?"

"Not, but it's so rare that I get an opportunity to annoy The Coven."

Belle sighed. Due to their mutual dislike for each other, Gold had dubbed Ruby, Emma, Ashley, and Mary Margret The Coven."Rum, for the hundredth time, they're not witches. They're my friends."

"Who said anything about witches? Those women are obviously vampires. Evil fiends that will drain the life out of a man, and the one in red is their leader."

"Rum! Ruby is not-Oh forget it. You were talking about your pills."Maybe if he took them, he'd stop.

"Yes. They're not in the bathroom."

"Check the nightstand drawer. I put them there because you keep knocking them off of the stand and they would roll under the bed."

"Thanks you, dearie."Gold stepped forward and put his arms around her waist, drawing her to him."I'd be lost without you, you know."

Belle finally smiled and ran her hand through his still damp hair."I know. I'll be up in a minute. Go on to sleep."

He smiled and gave her a quick kiss before exiting the kitchen. Once outside, he pretend to fix his pants.

"We'll finish this later, dearie!"he called out loud enough for all of them to hear.

He then headed back to up the stairs before Belle could murder him. He knew he'd be in trouble in the morning, but the look on their faces was worth it.

_**TBC**_

_**Sorry for the lateness. School starts up again soon, and I've been busy getting ready. This also means that I'll probably be posting chapters less frequently. Again, sorry.  
**_


	20. 20 Fear

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

Sometimes living in a castle wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Sure, Rumpelstiltskin used magic to heat the floors, but that was little help when it rained. The huge stone building turned into an ice box. Belle shuddered as the wind blew against the castle and silently prayed the Rumpel was alright wherever he was. She then snuggled tighter into her blankets and inched closer to the fire. Just as she was about to fall asleep, Belle heard a loud crash come from downstairs.

Part of her hoped that it was just Rumpel, but when he didn't call for her like he always did, a sliver of fear ran down her spine. Dozens of scenarios ran through Belle's mind about what could have caused the crash, but she knew there was only one way to find out the truth. Grabbing one of the lit candelabras, Belle stood and began her trip downstairs in the darkness. After nearly falling because of the stairs, she finally reached the Main Hall.

A flash of light lit the room for a second, and Belle was relieved to find that the crash had been caused by one of the windows opening. With a sigh, she then laughed at herself for being so jumpy. She'd had braved living with the Dark One for over a year. A little storm shouldn't scare her. Belle stopped laughing when gust of wind chilled the room due to the open window. Carefully crossing the room, she managed to close the window but not before another gust of wind blew out her candles.

Now in complete darkness, that feeling of fear returned to Belle. It was only intensified by the small thump she heard to her left. Belle stood frozen for a moment before a familiar deranged giggle rang out in the dark. Her eyes widened at the sound, and she turned away from the window.

"Rum! This isn't funny!"

The giggle sounded off again."I'd say it is, dearie. You should see the look on your face."

"And I suppose you can?"

"Of course. I'm the _Dark _One, remember? The darkness like daylight to me only less annoying."Of course it was. Taking careful steps, Belle reached out blindly in the dark for him. Rumpelstiltskin saw this from his spot atop the table and smiled."Here, dearie. Maybe this will help."

With a snap of his fingers, a white aura enveloped Belle. It glowed bright enough for her to see what was close to her but not much else. Rumpel watched her examine her hands and smiled sadly. This was how things would always be. He belonged darkness while she deserved to be in the light. An evil creature such a he would only taint her. A rumble of thunder was followed by a flash of lightning, and he watched her jump. The light did little to calm Belle. She could still barely see what was around her. Outside, another loud clap of thunder was heard, and Belle shivered.

"Rum. Please."

After hearing her soft plea, Rumpelstiltskin made his way over to her without thinking. He soon came close enough for her to see him thanks to her light. If she was startled by his sudden appearance, she didn't show it. Instead, she pulled him to her, enveloping him in her light as well. Slowly, he made the light extend until the entire room was lit by the white light.

"Better?"

Belle rested her chin on his chest and looked up at him."Don't ever do that to me again."

"I won't."

"Good. I hate the dark."

"I'm sorry, dearie. I had no idea. I got you a gift."

"It's alright."She yawned and rested her head on his shoulder."What did you get me?"

"You'll get it in the morning. Right now, you're going to bed. You're tired, dearie."

She yawned again."No I'm not."

Carefully, Rumpelstiltskin picked her up and chuckled."Sure your not."

Belle weakly protested before relaxing. With a smile, he started upstairs. Maybe there was a place for him in her world or vice versa. If there wasn't, he was sure they'd find their own place.

_**TBC**_

**I'm not dead! I've been in a coma like state caused by school.  
**


	21. 21 Judgement

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

"I heard that Josephine caught them behind Granny's."

"I did too. Did you hear about when they were in the library?"

"No! The library?"

"Yes! I heard it from my sister's friend's brother's wife."

"Really?"

Belle unconsciously squeezed her husband's hand tighter at the whispers. Mr. Gold, on the other hand, was smirking like the mad man he was. The people in Storybrook weren't exactly known for their subtlety. Ever since Gold's little stunt in from of 'The Coven' as he called them, rumors had been flying. While his wife was annoyed, Gold took it as a huge boost to his ego, and Belle was close to slapping the grin off of his face. Finally, they reached home, and she happily slipped inside.

"I don't know why you're so upset, dearie,"he said, patting Draco's head affectionately."I like the fact that they're talking about us."

"They're spreading lies about us, Rum!"

Still smirking, Gold followed her to the living room."Not all of them are lies, or have you forgotten that we _did_ indeed do it in the library? And in the shop. And in the woods that I owned. And-"

"Stop!"Belle was blushing like mad now at the memories."Okay maybe they're not _all _lies, but it's our business. They have no right to know what we do behind closed doors."

Gold sat down on the couch next to her."And just where do the doors in the woods lead to, love, Christmas Land?"

Belle whacked him over the head with a book she'd finished reading."Your sarcasm is not needed."

"Neither are your random acts violence towards me,"he said, rubbing his head."There is such as thing as spousal abuse, you know."

"I wouldn't be so violent if you weren't an ass, Rum."

"I wouldn't be such an ass if it wasn't so fun, dearie." She raised the book threateningly, and Gold held up his hands in surrender.

"I know that, you annoying little man. I bet it was Sydney who helped start this."

"Glass doesn't do anything without Regina's approval, and I doubt that she's interested in our sex lives. Especially since she knows that I know about hers."

Belle turned and looked at her husband."You know what?!"

"Oh yes. I found out some time ago and have saving it to use later. I just feel sorry for the poor lad she's with."

"Who is he?"

"I can't say. It would be an invasion of their privacy, you know."

Belle glared at him, and Gold snatched the book from her hand before she could hit him again."What do you want?"

"Whatever do you mean?"He asked a bit too innocently.

"What do you want in exchange for the name?"

Gold leaned back and folded his arms behind his head, still smirking."Let's see. I have money, power, and the most beautiful woman in the world as my wife. What is there for me to ask for?"

Belle smiled a bit at his words before an idea formed in her mind. Carefully, she rose to stand in front of him, and, mindful of his leg, straddled him. This caused the hem of her dress to rise, exposing her bare thighs, and his hands automatically moved to hold her in place.

"Stay silent if you want, Rumpelstiltskin. I have ways of making you talk."

At the sound of his real name from her lips, Gold shivered. She only said his full name when he was in trouble or when she wanted something. More often than not, she got what she wanted, and today would be no different. Gold could never deny his wife anything especially when her cleavage sat directly in his line of vision. She was so close that he could even see the bite marks he'd left the day before. Thoughts that were positively sinful ran through his mind, and Belle smiled when she felt the effects of said thoughts press against her thigh. She had him right where she wanted him, and they both knew it.

_You are a weak man, Rumpelstiltskin. This woman has you wrapped around her finger. Admit it, you'd jump off the Toll Bridge if she asked you to._

Gold knew it was true, and he had no one to blame but himself. He'd fallen head over heels for the beauty in on his lap years ago."It's Graham. She had his heart before we came here, and I believe she has them hidden somewhere in town. He's been her boy toy for a long time, unwillingly of course."

Belle threaded her fingers through his hair."I thought Graham liked Emma."

Her husband's eyes fell closed at her touch."Hmm. He does. I think he's starting to remember. A little to the left, please."

She complied to his request."Regina's not gong to like that if she finds out."

Gold made a sound that sounded like a 'no', but Belle wasn't entirely sure. After a while, she removed her hands from his hair and threw her legs across his lap. Gold then propped his feet up on the coffee table causing her to slide closer to him. Both silently enjoyed each others company until Belle's laughter rang out.

"What's so funny?"

"It's just that Emma is technically Regina's granddaughter and is about to steal her boyfriend."

Gold chuckled and kissed the top of her head."That is very screwed up romance, love, but then again who are we to judge?"

_**TBC**_

**Who else is counting down until the 30th? Just 12 days left! I just saw the promo for season 2 and I'm even more psyched. I'm posting this so that I don't go mad waiting.  
**


	22. 22 Dominance

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

Ruby was going to pay for this.

The red wearing girl had let Belle borrow one of her books in exchange for one of hers as always. This time, however, the book Ruby lent Belle was not what she expected. She'd started reading just after she got to work at the local library, and since it was a slow Friday, there was nothing to make her put it down. So there she sat, blushing like mad behind her desk and unable to will herself to stop reading. Finally, the door opened, and she looked up, grateful for a distraction. Through the door came the best distraction she could ask for, her husband.

"Afternoon, dearie. I figured I'd be nice for a change and bring _you _lunch."

She smiled at him and leaned across the desk to kiss him."You're being nice? Be careful, love, someone might find out. Your reputation would be ruined."

Mr. Gold returned the kiss happily."You act as if I care what they think. Everyone in town already knows that you have me on short leash, anyhow."

Belle kissed his cheek before opening the bag he'd brought. Inside was a ham and cheese panini and a cherry Dr. Pepper, her favorites."Are you complaining?"

"Never," he replied without missing a beat."New book?"

Belle nearly choked on her sandwich."Um.. Yes. R-Ruby let me borrow it."

"Ah. What's this one about then?"

Her skin turned as red as her dress, and Belle finally noticed what he was wearing. Mr. Gold was in his usual dark suit, a gray shirt, and, Heaven help her, a silver silk tie. Come to think of it, he had dozens of silk ties. He had more than enough to... No. She wasn't going there.

"Nothing interesting. I'm not sure if I'm even going to finish it."

Though the hated lying to her husband, Belle was well aware of what would happen if she told him the truth. He'd never let her live it down. Hell, it might even give him ideas. Part of her wondered if that was really a bad thing, making her blush even harder.

"You don't look like you have very much left to read."Before she could stop him, he grabbed the book and began reading where she left off."It can't be that-Wow."

Belle's face reddened once more. She tried to snatch it back, but Gold used his cane to hold her at bay.

"My, my, dearie. I never knew that you were into this sort of thing,"he said smugly

"I'm not! Ruby let me borrow it like I said, and once I started, I didn't have the heart to stop. Give it back!"

Gold used his cane to hold back with one hand and held the book even farther out of her reach with the other."If you wanted this sort of thing, all you had to do was ask, dearie. Why waste your time reading about it when you can experience it first hand?"

He looked at her and saw that her face was bright red, but her eyes were another story. He could tell she was honestly considering his idea and smiled. His sweet Belle wasn't as innocent Storybrooke believed.

"How about me make a deal?"

"Oh?"Now, he was really interested and lowered his cane.

"Yes,"she said, reaching over the desk to grab his tie an pull him closer."We use a few ideas from the book but on one condition."

There now nose to nose, and he could see the mischievous glint in her eyes. She was definitely up to something."And just what would that be?"

"I'm Christian, and you're Anastasia."

His smile evaporated while hers got wider."That means that I-"

"Yes. Whenever do this, you have to become my bitch."

Gold glared at her. Of course she would name that as her price. He then went silent as he thought about the pros and cons of agreeing to her terms. As he thought, Belle snatched to book from his hand and began reading aloud from it. Hearing what she planned to do to him from her lips finally crumbled his resolve.

"Fine!"

Belle stopped reading and looked up at him. He was pouting because of his loss, so she pulled him in for a long hard kiss. She heard his cane clatter when it hit the floor and smiled when she pulled away.

"That was just a taste of what's to come," She whispered. She heard the door open and saw a young couple enter."Go back to work. We'll be home before you know it."

He let out a small whine at the idea of having to wait, and Belle gave him a quick kiss to console him. With a heavy sigh, Gold grabbed his cane and tried to compose himself. He managed to straighten his suit and tie and calm down his racing heart a bit before walking out of the library. He did not trust himself enough to look back. He was sure he'd end up turning around and ravishing her on her desk if he did. Belle could tell he was thinking this by his walk and grinned. This was too perfect.

"And don't forget the ties, love!"

At this, he sped up and was soon out the door. With him gone and couple still browsing, Belle laughed and decided to finish the book after all.

_**TBC**_

**One week left! In honor of season 2, I am going to post a new chapter every day this week until next Sunday. **

**Free roses and hugs from Rumpelstiltskin to anyone who can figure out the book Belle's reading.  
**


	23. 23 Beginnings

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

"How did it start?"

Rumpelstiltskin opened his eyes a bit and turned his head to look at Belle. It had been rather quiet for days, not that either of them minded much. With nothing better to do, Rumpelstiltskin brought Belle to the roof of the castle to see the stars one night. The sky was clear and the moon was full giving them enough light to see Draco sleeping on the ground below. Rumpel was nearly asleep when she spoke. "How did what start, dearie?"

"The deal making. Why not just use your powers to help people for free?"

The Dark One giggled and turned his head to see the stars again."Where's the fun in that?"

Belle looked at him but smiled none the less."I'm being serious, Rum."

"So am I. It never appealed to me at first. Then after a few years of being the Dark One, I realized that people will show you their true colors when you force them to make a choice, so I offer them the things they want most to see what they're willing to do to get it."

"Has anyone ever turned you down?"

"Quite a few people actually. There have been a few people who were smart enough to read my contract first and refused once they read the fine print."

"Good for them."

"Yes, it was. The deals I make tell me a lot about people. Most simply want money or power and will do anything to get it."

"And what did my deal tell you?"

"At first I wasn't sure whether you were very brave or completely crazy. Truth be told I'm still not sure."That earned him an elbow to the side."I'm kidding, dearie. No need to get violent. You know you're the bravest person I know."

She moved her head to rest on his shoulder."And don't you forget it."

He chuckled and wrapped his arm around her."I won't."

"Do you remember your first deal?"

Of course he remembered. He'd never forget it, but he didn't want to tell Belle about that one yet. So, he decided to tell her about his _second _deal. "Yes. It was years ago, less than year after I'd become the Dark One."

"Tell me about it."

"Are you sure? It didn't end very well, dearie."

"Just tell me. I can handle it."

"Alright. I was new to my powers than and had very little knowledge on how to used them. What remained in the library of the Duke's castle after I burned it down was limited, and I needed to know more. I began traveling from village to village, reading whatever books on magic they had. I'd just left a town one evening when a man stopped me. He said he'd heard I could do magic and asked for a potion that would that would make him the most attractive man in all the lands."

"Is that even possible? Beauty is only skin deep after all, and everyone interprets beauty differently."

"It is possible to improve ones looks through magic but to become the most attractive of all is truly impossible. I knew that then, but the man offered me his sword in exchange. So, I told him that I could make him a potion for the sword and a bit of gold. He agreed and took me back to his home. It was there that I found out that he was a prince that was married but had two mistresses on the side."

"How horrible."

"That's what I thought, but I made him the potion only it had some side effects. It would make every woman who looked him in the eyes want him uncontrollably. He took the potion without a thought, and I took the gold and sword and went on my way."

"Did you ever find out what happened to him?"

"Yes. The potion worked out well for a while. That was until he looked at his mother and sister. Then old women and little girls began to chase him around the kingdom. Eventually he gauged out his own eyes to get rid of the spell and bled to death."

"Wow."was all Belle could say. He'd done all that on his first deal.

"I told you it wasn't pretty. There was one good thing that came out of it though."

"You discovering that you had a knack for deals?"

He chuckled."That, and I got this castle. Apparently no one wanted to live here after what happened, so I took this place as my own."

"You chose to live in the castle that belonged to a man who ripped his own eyes out and died inside it? That's pretty twisted, Rum."

Rumpelstiltskin laughed again and pulled her closer."I never said I was the sanest man. I couldn't be with you by my side."

Belle laughed, and it quickly turned into a yawn."Take me inside then, you maniac."

"As you wish."

_**TBC**_

**Six ****days! Here's I sneak peek I found on YouTube for those who haven't seen it. WARNING! Dearies may go temporarily or permanently insane due to wait. watch?v=f9ESI6f8D_0**


	24. 24 Care

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

When one needs to do something, usually there are signs to tell one this. If one is oblivious to everything, however, these signs are ignored. Despite all his power, Rumpelstiltskin could be very oblivious to signs. Now, Belle was to taking matters into her own hands. With his dagger in her hand, she pushed the door of his laboratory open, walked in, and yanked him off of his stool by his collar.

"Belle! Are you crazy? What are you-?"He sputtered as she then proceeded to drag him out of the room holding his ear.

She cut him off."Don't speak, Rumpelstiltskin. Just come on."

The Dark-One wisely closed him mouth not only because of the dagger but because of her grip on his ear. Belle was stronger than she looked, and when he slowed down, she would twist his ear viciously. He may have had a high pain tolerance, but that really hurt!

Rumpelstiltskin remained silently as they made their way to his room then into his bathroom. There, the large claw foot tub was already filled with soapy water. Belle released his ear and pointed to the tub.

"Get in,"she ordered.

Rumpel rubbed his ear, and against his will, stepped into the tub still in his clothes."Care to tell me what this is about?"

"It's about the fact that you haven't bathed in a fortnight, and you need a bath. Hand me your clothes."

Rumpel tugged his vest and shirt off and passed them to her."You just told me that instead of twisting my ear."

"I tried to tell you all last week, but you ignored me,"she said as she hung his clothes up."I'd hoped you'd come down of your own free will sooner, but when you did not, I was forced to take control of the situation."

Rum had no words to say and dropped his head. To be truthful, he hadn't been in his tower the _entire_ time. He'd teleported out quite often to collect items he didn't have for his potion. He wasn't going to tell Belle this of course. Looking at the water now, he could see the dirt and grime that had come from him because of said trips. Belle to his silence as submission and grabbed the soap off of the counter.

"Let's get you clean."

Rumpel tried to speak this time but was cut off by her forcing his head down into the water. Thankfully, she pulled him back up by his hair before he drowned, and he came up gasping for air. He whirled his head around to see her sitting on a small stool, grinning madly.

"What was that?!"

"I had to get your hair wet," she replied simply before she began washing it."I haven't seen you wash your hair since I got here."

He tried to glare but was enjoying the feel of her hands in his hair too much to stay angry. She then grabbed a brush and be began combing his hair roughly. It had grown even more tangled then usual since he locked himself away.

"Honestly, Rum. How do you live with this rat nest you call hair?"

"Ow! Careful! It's not that bad when there's no crazy woman trying to rip it out!"

"Just be quiet and relax. I had Draco heat the tub, so the water is very warm. The least you could do is try and enjoy the bath."

Grumbling, Rumpelstiltskin leaned back against the tub and sunk down until only his head was above the water. Again, she was right. The water was very warm, and his bones ached slightly from being hunched over the table for so long. With a content sigh, his sunk a bit lower into the tub and closed his eyes. After a while, he felt Belle push down on his head when she'd finished and happily submerged himself completely. When he came back up, he noticed two things. One, he was a great deal cleaner. Two, the water was now so dirty that he could no longer see the bottom of the tub.

"Wow."

Belle laughed."I told you you needed a bath. I believe you can handle the rest yourself, I hope. I'll leave you some fresh clothes and come back for your old ones later."

Rumpel took her wet hand and kissed it."Thank you, dearie. You didn't have to do all of this."

"Your welcome, and it's nothing, Rum. I'm happy to do it. Just try to take better care of yourself."

"I will."He wouldn't. Without her there, he'd forget to do the simplest of things.

He smiled at her as she left. Who else other than his Belle could love and take care of a beast? No name came to his mind. Still smiling, Rumpelstiltskin summoned himself a glass of wine and leaned back in the tub once more.

_I really got lucky with this one._

_**TBC**_


	25. 25 Influence

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

"Just hold still. It'll burn for a moment."

Mr. Gold tried not to wince when his wife pressed the cloth to his head but failed. The cut on his forehead, courtesy of Ashley Boyd did not need stitches, but his eyes burned like mad and his head was throbbing. He'd been unconscious for nearly an hour and a half on the floor of his shop. Thankfully, Belle and Draco had found him and lead him home safely. Now, Belle was trying to clean the cut on his head and keep him awake until she finished, but his body was begging for sleep. When his wife finally finished, Gold let his head fall back on the pillows.

"My head is killing me. I need a drink."

Belle kissed the cut softly and began packing up the first aid kit."You can have the drink or your pills. You're not getting both."

He groaned and began contemplating which option would work best. In the end, his need for alcohol won out. After his decision, he felt his eyelid droop and was about to fall asleep when Belle's voice broke the silence.

"Rum?"

"Hmm?"

"No. I asked if you wanted the rum."

"Oh. No. I want something good. I'll take the scotch." Since coming to this world, Gold had found that Scottish whiskey was the closed thing he could get to the alcohol he'd had in his castle.

"Fine, but just half a glass. I don't want you end up like last time,"she said, pouring him a glass

He chuckled and rolled over to look at her."Like you really need alcohol to get me naked."

"I know I don't, but you don't need a hangover and a headache in the morning. You've got a busy day tomorrow."

As always, his wife had a point. Though she did not always like his dealings, she respected him and agreed not to interfere with whatever he planned. It was his business, and she wanted no part of it. Belle passed him the glass of scotch and carefully slid into bed next to him.

"Ah yes. Ashley. She's definitely still in town, but where she is another matter."

"She could go into labor any day now, so she's probably somewhere near the hospital unless she tries to leave town."

Gold took a sip from his glass and thought about Belle's words. If Ashley did try to leave town, it would end badly, but she didn't know that. He finished off the scotch, enjoying the burn as it went down, before rolling over and pulling Belle against him. She relax in his embrace and yawned loudly.

"If you waste time looking for her by yourself, chances are she'll slip away from you. You're better off having someone else look for her,"she said lazily.

Above her, her husband's eyes widened as a plan formed in his mind. With a wicked grin, he kissed her forehead.

"You're a genius, Belle. I love you."

Though confused, Belle mumbled it back before falling into a peaceful sleep. Still smiling, Gold closed his eyes as he thought about how his plan would go now thanks to Belle. Maybe she should help out with his deals from now on.

_**TBC**_

**It's all downhill from here! Four days left!**


	26. 26 Touch

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

Rumpelstiltskin could not deny that thing had changed between him and Belle ever since she'd first come to live with him. They'd adopted a dragon, angered the Queen, and kissed now and then. They weren't lovers, but they were much more than friends. There was no name for what they were, but he knew it was something special.

Belle had changed him, both inside and out. Since she'd come, he noticed that his skin had before lighter, like gold fresh from a mine. His nails and teeth were still the same, but he hadn't looked like this since he'd first gotten his curse. He even dressed differently. Before, he wore dark colors every day and still did when he made deals. Around her, he wore vests and shirts that were colored.

He could tell that she liked them. When they were together, she would sometimes trace the patterns that were embroidered on his vest. Other times, she would run her hand down his arm, admiring the feel of his shirt. It had shocked at first. No one had dared to stay around hm longer than an hour before let alone touch him the way Belle did. Now, he'd grown used to her touches. Simple ones such as her hand on his back or knee could make his heart flutter.

What Rumpelstiltskin did not know was that Belle knew how much he loved her touches. That was why she made it her mission to touch him when she could. She could tell he wasn't accustom to them by the way he froze when she started doing it. A simple brush against his arm would make him tense up, but Belle fixed that. Now, his entire body relaxedwhen she touched him. Whenever his came back irate because of a bad deal, she would rubbed his back and remind him that their were many desperate souls out there to deal with. This usually did the trick, and he would smile at her before asking what she did while he was gone.

To be honest, Belle enjoyed touching him just as much as he enjoyed being touched. Rumpelstiltskin was very tall or brawny like most men, but she could feel the muscle in his arms and shoulders when she touched him. She was sure that the imp was stronger than he appeared to be. She'd first suspected this when he caught her after she fell from the ladder. She was then proven right when he picked her up with one arm and hoisted her over his shoulder as they enjoyed the snow one winter evening. She'd laughed as he twirled her around and never once feared that he would drop her.

As much as she touched him, however, it was very rare that he touched her. At first, it was because he thought she would shrink away in fear of his beastly hands. Now, it was because he didn't trust himself to be able to stop. The first time he'd touched her at all in fact was when he caught are after she tumbled off the ladder. He'd never forget how perfect she felt when he held her. She'd rested there comfortably for a few moment before held eventually set her down. He'd touched her but only on occasion, usually to brush her hair back or stroke her cheek, and she'd never once shied away from him. Their touches, though simple and brief, held meaning, and both had grown used to them. However, there was one touch Rumpelstiltskin did not expect.

One day out of no where, Belle stopped dusting and turned to see him mixing various vials together. Timing it perfectly so not to startle him too badly, she quietly came up behind him and delivered a well-aimed slap to his leather-covered behind. Rumpelstiltskin yelped and jumped nearly a foot in the air before whirling around to look at her.

"What the hell was that?!"

"I've wanted to do that for months,"she said simply."and now was the perfect opportunity. You have a very nice rump, Rumpelstiltskin."

Now blushing like mad, the Dark-One struggled to come up with a reply. Still smiling, Belle left the tower, savoring her victory.

_**TBC**_


	27. 27 Explantions

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

Valentines Day was one of Belle's favorite holidays. Her husband knew this, so they always did something to celebrate the day. Every year was different, and every year was special. Bailing said husband out of jail, however, was not what she'd had in mind to do to celebrate.

Thanks to Ruby, Belle had managed to find out that Mr. Gold had gotten into it with her father again. It soon got physical and resulted in her father having a black eye and a concussion. Now, she and Draco entered the police station to bail him out.

"Hey, Emma. How much is bail for Slugger over there?"

Inside the cell, Mr. Gold smiled a bit at the sound of his wife's voice."Hello to you too, love."

Both women ignored him, and Emma replied,"It hasn't been set yet. You father wasn't awake and able to press charges. I was just holding him until you came and found him."

Gold stood, using the bars of the cell to steady himself in the place of his cane, and yelled."I can hear both of you perfectly fine, you know. I'm not a dog."

At this, Draco barked, as if he were offend, and Belle patted his head as Emma went to find the cell keys."If only you were, my life would be a lot easier. Honestly, picking a fight with my father on Valentines Day?"

"He started it,"he grumbled as Emma unlocked the cell.

Trained well by his owners, Draco grabbed Gold's cane from where it was leaning against the desk in his mouth and brought it to him; he even tilted his head so that Gold could grabbed the handle. Gold took it and scratched Draco behind the ears before whispering something so low that only Draco could hear it. The dog bark before going to sit in front of Belle with Gold standing behind him. Two sets of brown eyes gave her with the saddest looks she'd ever seen, but Belle knew better.

"You're still not getting out of this. When we get home, you're explaining yourself."

With that, she walked off, and Gold cursed.

"You really didn't think that would work, did you?"Emma asked, trying not to laugh.

"No, but it was worth a try,"he replied before following his wife out.

* * *

"Well?"Belle asked.

Gold sighed and sat down on their bed."I know how much you love Valentines Day, so I planned to get you a rose like I do every year, but every shop I went to was out of roses so I had no choice but to visit your father."

He paused and dropped his head, but she tilted it back up to look at her."Go on."

With another disgruntled sigh, he began his tale.

_Every store had been a bust. Not one single rose in sight on Valentines Day, no less. Mr. Gold knew that was one place in Storybrooke he hadn't tried yet. The _Game of Thorns _van was only a few blocks away, and Gold knew Moe French specialized in roses. However, Gold was not exactly on speaking terms with his father-in-law. He hadn't spoken to the man since the wedding and that had been an argument of epic proportions. Talking to him now, especially without Belle to intervene, would most likely be a bad idea._

_Gold then remembered their tradition. He'd gotten her rose on every major holiday, her birthday, and their anniversary for the past twenty-eight years without fail. He wasn't about to let anything or anyone stand in the way of that. With thoughts of pleasing his wife on his mind, Gold headed down the street._

_Moe French had been busy all day. Valentines Day was always a busy day for him, but this year it seemed even more so. It was days like this that he missed his daughter. His Annabelle rarely visited him now that she was married to Mr. Gold, and their last conversation had not ended well. That man had probably warped her mind to make her never want to see him again. Moe sighed when he heard someone bang on the side of the van. Maneuvering around the various plants, he carefully exited the back of the van. _

"_Alright, alright. Welcome to _Game of Thorns_. How may I help-Oh it's you."_

_Mr. Gold's grip on his cane tightened a bit."Yes. It's me."_

"_If you're here for rent, you know I'll have more than enough to pay you by the end of the day."_

"_I'm not here for rent. I need a rose. A thornless red one if you have it. Every other shop in town is out of red roses, and Belle loves them."_

"_I know." Gold wasn't sure if he meant the roses or what Belle liked._

"_Do you have one? Just one is all I require."_

"_You're in luck. I always grow extra roses on Valentines Day, and I have some left."_

_Finally, a break. Gold pulled out his wallet."How much?"_

_Moe looked up at him, confused."You're actually going to pay me?"_

"_How else am I going to get the rose, you twit?"_

"_I just never expected _you _to pay for anything. I figured that you usually just take what you want."_

_Gold sensed that this was about more than the rose."Believe me, I know better than anyone that everything always comes at a price, and every man must consider what he is willing to pay to get what he wants. To please Belle, there is no price I would not pay."_

"_Then why give her one? You have more than enough to by dozens of bouquets like she deserves. My daughter deserves the best."_

_Gold glared at him."You act as though I don't already know that."_

"_No. I'm not saying that at all,"Moe replied, but his tone said otherwise._

"_If you have something to say, spit it out already."_

"_I just want to say that I wish my daughter had never met you. She deserves more than a lame, cankerous, old snake in the grass for a husband! I sometimes wish that she were dead instead of with you."_

_At that moment, Gold's control snapped. Without warning. He raised his cane and swung with all his might. The golden handle caught Moe across the face, and he dropped like a sack of potatoes. People on the street stopped to stare at him, but Gold didn't notice. He prodded the unconscious man with his shoe before walking off. He turned the corner to head back to his shop but was met by Emma._

"Miss Swan arrested me on the spot and took me to jail before calling you. I'm sorry."

Belle could tell that he was more upset about the flower than her father. She sat down beside him and took his hands in hers."It's alright, Rum. I'll talk to my father when he wakes up and after that I'm done with him."

"What?"

"If he can't learn to at least tolerate you then there's no place for him in my life. If I have to choose, I will always choose you."He smiled at her and leaned in for kiss, but she stopped him by putting a single finger to his lips."But only if you promise not to doubt me ever again. Agreed?"

"Agreed."He wrapped his arm around her to pull her closer."I never meant to doubt your love for me. I just didn't want you upset, especially on today."

"Hmm. I know. I also know that you aren't the least bit sorry for hitting him."

Gold smiled sheepishly."You know me too well, dearie. I won't tolerate people who insult my woman."

Belle smiled at the flare of possessiveness."_Your _woman, am I?"

"Completely and utterly."

"Prove it."

Not one to refuse a challenge, especially one from Belle, Mr. Gold rolled over and trapped her underneath him.

"With pleasure."

**_TBC_**


	28. 28 Roses

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

Ever since spring had rolled around, Belle had been outside most of the day tending to the rose bushes in the garden. Thanks to her care, they all quickly bloomed larger than ever before. This, in turn, caused her to bring the scent of roses with her wherever she went. She'd even clipped a few to put in vases around their home, and a single rose sat in the middle of the table in the main hall.

Rumpelstiltskin quickly noticed that the smell of roses was heaviest in the library. He found himself going in there more and more, usually to sit with Belle and relax. She never refused his company and happily let him in. Now, he sat with her in his lap as she read quietly. Neither minded the silence. Her head was tucked snugly under her chin as one had stroked her hair while the other rested comfortably on her hip.

No words were needed. Rumpelstiltskin was content to just hold her as he drowned in the scent of roses.

_**TBC**_

_****_**The weekend it here at last! One more day!  
**


	29. 29 Cherry

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

Sunday mornings were a blessing to Belle. On Sunday, she could stay in bed as long as she liked. She usually chose to stay in the arms of her husband until one of their stomachs finally forced her to get up and cook. Today was no different, but this morning Mr. Gold didn't seem to want to let her go.

"Rum. I have to get up."

"You don't _have _to get up, dearie,"he mumbled, his voice still thick with sleep."I for one would prefer it if you stayed here."

"I can't. Your stomach sounds like Draco when he yawned as a dragon. You're obviously hungry."

"I have what I want to eat right here." To prove this, he pulled her tighter to his chest and began nibbling on her shoulder. One way or another, she wasn't moving.

Belle normally wouldn't mind this, but he hadn't shaved since Friday. The stubble on his chin tickled her shoulder, making her giggle. She squirmed to get away from him but his grip was too tight.

"Rum...Stop...That tickles!"

He lifted his head for a moment and smiled cheekily at her."Really? I had no idea."

She glared up at him."You're shaving when I get up."

"_If_ you get up. You're in no position to make threats especially when you taste so delicious."

Belle sighed."You need to eating something, Rum. Something other than me."

"You weren't telling me to stop before, love. In fact, you were encouraging me not to stop."

She blushed."I know and I have the burn on my thighs to prove it because you haven't shaved."

He smirked again, and Belle soon began finding it hard to stay mad at him. Even with a 5 o'clock shadow, he seemed younger in morning. His usually straight hair was messy and curled the way it used to. He tried to tame it by running his hand through it, but it only seemed to make things worse.

"I'm sorry for that. I have a hard time controlling myself around you once I've gotten a taste. You're sweeter than any fruit with a bit of cherry behind everything."

"Really?"

"Hmm. It drives me completely mad."

With a small smile, Belle leaned up and kissed him passionately on the lips. The familiar taste of cherries was sweet on his lips, and he wanted more. Their tongues dueled until they both needed air. They broke apart, and she rolled over, pinning him to the bed.

"I thought you were getting up, dearie."

"Breakfast can wait. I'm craving something else right now."

Gold smiled up at her as she lowered her head for another kiss. Everything had went according to plan.

_**TBC**_

**Sunday at last! In just a few long hours, season 2 will premier**.


	30. 30 Lost and Found

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

"What are you doing?"

At the sound of Rumpelstiltskin's voice, Belle lifted her head quickly and ended up hitting it against the table. Rumpel winced and offered her his hand to help her up. She took it and rose, rubbing the back of her head.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to startle you, dearie."

"It's alright, Rum. I'm fine."

Rumpel then noticed the resignation in her voice and sadness in her eyes."What's wrong, Belle?"

"I lost my necklace. I think the chain broke and it fell off my neck. I've been looking for it all day."

He remembered the necklace. He hadn't seen her without it since she arrived. It was small and could easily be anywhere in the castle. Belle obviously loved it, so making a new one was out of the question. They had no choice but to find it.

Belle watched Rumpelstiltskin close his eyes and cup his hands together. Slowly, a black orb appeared in his hands and floated up towards the Belle.

"Here. The closer you get to the necklace the lighter it gets. When it completely white, you've got the necklace. When that's done, I'll see what I can do about repairing it."

Her eyes lit up at the idea of finding her necklace."Really?"

"Yes. You'd better start looking while there's plenty of light. Try retracing your steps."

So, she did. After a few minutes, Belle found herself on the right path. The orb lead her to the kitchen and turned a bright white before disappearing. Belle looked around the room and saw something shine in the light. There it was! Her necklace had fallen on the tea-tray and say curled around the cups and sugar bowl. She carefully untangled the necklace from the dishes and soon saw the link in the chain that had broken. With the necklace in her grasp, Belle headed back to the main hall.

"I see you found it,"Rumpelstiltskin said without looking up from his wheel."Just in time too. Pass me the necklace"

Belle handed it to him, and Rumpel removed the strand of gold he'd just spun from its spool. He wrapped it around the necklace, and Belle watched as the two lengths of gold melded together. When he was finished, the link had been repaired, and a new one was wrapped with it.

"There,"he said as he carefully clasped the necklace around her neck."Now it will never break again."

Belle quickly turned around and planted a quick kiss on his lips."Thank you."

Rumpel blinked and tried to keep from stuttering."I-It was nothing, dearie."

**_TBC_**

**_8 o'clock isn't coming fast enough. I had to write something else.  
_**


	31. 31 Feuds

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

"So, when are we going through with you-know-what?"

Belle looked up from her half of _The Mirror_ at her husband. Mr. Gold had a familiar evil glint in his eyes. This was not going to end well. "What are you talking about?"

Gold's grin remained in place as he took a sip of his tea. "You know. The N-E-U-T-E-R-I-N-G."

"Neutering? Rum, when did we ever talk about neutering someone?"

Draco, who had been asleep at their feet, lifted his head. He may have been a dog in their world, but he had just as much intelligence as a human being. He knew good and well what neutering meant and didn't like the idea one bit

"Remember, dearie? I brought it up last week that we were getting Draco neutered sometime today."

Draco's eyes widened before he bolted from the kitchen and out of his dog door as fast as he could. When he was gone, Mr. Gold threw his head back and started laughing like a madman. Belle then realized what her husband had done and glared at him.

"You're going to give that dog a heart attack."

"He'll be fine. That'll teach him not to chew on my shoes."

Belle sighed. "He only did that because _you _stepped on his tail. You know he's going to retaliate when he realizes what happened."

"And when he does, I'll be ready."

"You're going to war against a dog, Rumple," Belle said before standing up. "I'm not getting involved in this. I'm off to work. Hopefully, you'll get over this like a mature adult."

With that, Belle left, hoping that her husband would, for once, act his age.

Belle's hopes were soon dashed. The feud between Draco and Mr. Gold soon became all-out war. Draco quickly realized Gold's little trick and retaliated by wrapping his leash around his master on his next walk. Gold's response was to glued Draco's dog door shut. Not only did the dog run into the door head first, but he was also locked out until Belle got home. That was just the beginning. For weeks, the two went back and forth until Belle decided to end to it.

"I've had it with you two! If you don't settle this right now, _both_ of you are sleeping outside!"

Both males coward as Belle raged before looking at each other. A silent truce was quickly made between man and beast. No feud was worth facing Belle's wrath. Mr. Gold stood and slowly approached his wife.

"I-We're sorry, love. We'll stop."

She kissed his cheek and scratched Draco's head. "Good. I'm going to go get dinner started. I think I'll even break out the steaks I picked up Wednesday."

Gold's eye widened and Draco's head shot up. "Really?"

"Yes. Get changed. I'll be done in a moment."

With that, Belle left their room and headed downstairs. Mr. Gold sat on their bed next to Draco and began removing his shoes only to pause. He looked at his dog with an evil smile.

"Belle said we couldn't attack each other, but she said nothing about the rest of the town. What do you say, boy?"

Draco let out a bark of agreement as Gold made plans.

Friday morning, a loud scream was heard from Mayor Mills' home. Apparently, an animal of some kind had left a little surprise on her doorstep, and she had unknowingly stepped in it when she ventured out to get the paper.

A block away, two figures, one human one animal, stood watching the entire scene unfold.

_**TBC**_

**To celebrate a season of OUaT hopefully filled with Rumbelle, I'm gong to try to post a new chapter each Sunday.****  
**


	32. 32 Voices

**Disclaimer:**** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**The song used in this chapter is _Damned If I Do_ by ****Jace Everett, and I highly recommend playing it as you read this.  
**

"If I didn't like that song, I would rip his stupid head off."

Belle laughed as Ruby scowled at Dr. Whale. Ruby had finally talked her grandmother into getting a karaoke machine, and Whale immediately grabbed the microphone and dedicated a horrible rendition of _Hungry like the Wolf _to Ruby. Belle was laughing not only at her friend's reaction but the irony of the song when her husband stepped into the diner.

"So that's what that God awful noise was," Mr. Gold said, sliding into the booth next to Belle. "Draco and I heard it nearly a block away."

"Whale decided to serenade Ruby to win her over," Belle said with a laugh.

"He doesn't sound like he'll win anyone over with that voice."

"I'd like to see you do better, Gold," Ruby snapped, sick of the teasing.

Belle's eyes widened. She knew better than to dare her husband to do anything. He had no shame what so ever and would do damn near anything if challenged. As she suspected, Gold left the two women in the booth as soon as Whale finished and took the mic from him. Belle glared at her friend.

"Nice going, Ruby."

Ruby shrugged. "I didn't think he'd actually do it."

The librarian shook her head, and watched her husband search though the machine. Smooth jazz-like music rolled through the speakers before Gold started singing.

"_Late at night and all I can do is walk these streets and think of you. Time goes by but not for me,  
so easy to preach, but hard to believe. I'm damned if I do, and damned if I don't want you._

_To taste your lips, to touch your skin. Pull you close and drink you in.  
I should let you go but I don't know how. I'm no good for you and I'm nothing without.  
_

_Yeah, I'm damned if I do, but damned if I don't want you._

_It's late at night. All I can do is walk these streets and dream of you.  
Yeah, I'm damned if I don't. Damned if I do, but damned if I don't want you._

_I see your face through that window pane. My lips don't move as I scream your name._  
_I want you, my love!_  
_I want you!_  
_Call my name without a sound. I am on my way._  
_I want you, my love!"_

The lyrics along with his thickened accent made Belle's mouth go dry. His eyes locked with hers making it clear who he was singing about. When he finished, the diner had more people than it had when he started, and every female inside gave him a round of applause.

"Don't tell him I said this," Ruby whispered as Gold put down the mic. No one seemed to want to follow that. "But that man has one hell of a voice."

"I know, and I won't." He didn't need another boost to his ego. No matter how sexy his voice was.

"How was that, ladies?" Mr. Gold asked when he reclaimed his seat beside his wife.

Without warning, Belle grabbed his tie and pulled him into a rough kiss. Ruby saw this as her cue to get back to work and left the booth to wait tables. The kissing couple did not notice and kissed until neither could breathe.

"You didn't tell me that you could sing," she said breathlessly.

"You never asked, dearie," he replied equally breathless with a small smile.

Belle shivered at the sound of his once again thickened Scottish accent and set about straightening his tie to distract herself. He had no idea what kind of affect his voice had on her. Then again, he probably did and that was why he chose to sing that song. When she finished, Gold cupped her cheek with one hand as his other arm rested along the back of the booth, boxing her in. Belle didn't mind the position one bit and leaned into his touch.

"You know. I could give you a _private _concert at home if you want," he offered.

"Hmm. Sounds wonderful, love. If you sing like you just did, I'm probably going to jump you before you finish the first song."

Gold smiled down at her. "You'll hear no objections from me, dearie," he replied before leaning in for another kiss.

_**TBC**_


	33. 33 Movies

**Disclaimer:**** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

"Belle. Belle where are you?"

Mr. Gold was not surprised at the lack of reply. If she was caught up in a really good book, he would have to find her and tap her to get her attention. He headed to the living room and found her curled up on the couch and crying. He was at her side instantly, ready to make whoever had done this pay.

"Belle. Dearie, what's wrong?"

Belle looked up at her husband's concerned face and smiled. "It's nothing, Rum. I'm fine. I just got emotional over the movie."

Gold blinked. She was upset over a movie? He would never understand women. "Okay. And, just what were you watching that got you so upset?"

"The Phantom of the Opera. It was on television when I got home. I've read the book already, but it's even sadder in the movie." Gold vaguely remembered Belle telling him about the book once, but that was it. "It's playing again after dinner. Do you want to watch it with me?"

"Are you sure you want to watch it again if it upsets you this much?"

"I can handle it this time. Besides, you'd like it."

He shot her a small smile. "Sure, I would. It has nothing to do with the fact that you want to use me as a pillow while you watch it."

"You said it not me, love," she said, grinning back at him.

"That's because I know you, dearie, but I will watch it with you."

After dinner, Belle was busy finding the channel the movie was on in their room when her husband came into the room with a bowl of popcorn and Draco behind him.

"You just ate, Rum! How do you still have room for popcorn?"

Mr. Gold stretched out beside her and popped a few kernels into his mouth. "I didn't eat that much. This is just a snack."

"You ate two bowls of stew and four dinner rolls with them. Honestly, where do you put it all?"

"It's not my fault I eat so much. You've been over feeding Draco and I for years. If we're fat, it's entirely your fault. Right, boy?"

Draco barked in agreement before taking his usual spot in front of the bed. Belle rolled her eyes and rested her head on Gold's shoulder.

"If you keep blaming me for your overeating, I'm going make good on my threat to stop cooking."

"Shush, dearie," he said quickly to change the subject. "The movie's starting. Popcorn?"

Belle passed on the popcorn and focused on the movie.

At the end of the movie, Mr. Gold felt his heart clench. The sight of Christine choosing Raoul made him think of Belle choosing Gaston over him. He knew that it was a stupid thought, but he doubted that his reaction would have been any different from the Phantom's.

"Christine was a fool," Belle said as the credits rolled. "She picked the pretty boy over Erik."

"Not all women are able to love monsters, dearie," he reminded her softly. "Especially ones who don't look like the 'pretty boy' she picked."

Belle rolled over to face him and pulled the covers tighter around the both of them. "Shallow fools, the lot of them. He did everything for her, and she betrayed his trust. Even if she didn't love him, what she did was just cruel."

"True. You were right though. I did enjoy the movie. I see why you like it."

To his surprise, she giggled into his chest. "The story is only one of the reasons I like it."

"What's the other, then?"

She smiled up at him. "I have a thing for Scottish men in tight pants, and Gerard Butler has a very nice ass."

Gold chuckled. "Should I be worried about competition?"

"No. Yours is much nicer, and I can touch it when I please." To prove this, she gave his left cheek a hard squeeze.

He gasped at her touch before smiling down at her. "Indeed, you can dearie. Though, I suggest you stop or you won't be getting any sleep tonight."

"Now, when have I ever complained about you keeping me up?" she asked before pulling him into a kiss.

_**TBC**_


	34. 34 Accidents

**Disclaimer:**** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**To GotyeMaiden: I've been asked about that idea before, but never really thought about it. I'll see what I can come up with.  
**

Spring was with a doubt Belle's favorite time of year. Everywhere she looked there was new life. Draco seemed to enjoy it just as much. He especially liked it when Belle would come outside and read to him. Today, she sat leaning against one of the spikes protruding from his spine and read one of her personal favorites. Draco sat with his head on his paws, listening to his mistress' soothing voice, and all was calm until Draco suddenly lifted his head.

Belle grabbed the spike she was leaning against to keep from falling and soon saw the source of Draco's excitement. Rumpelstiltskin had been gone for nearly a week but was now home, and Draco was obviously happy to see him. On the ground, Rumpel petted Draco's snout when the dragon came towards him.

"Hey, boy. I got you something."

He opened the small pouch at his belt and using magic, pulled out a freshly plucked chicken. Draco immediately opened his mouth and ate the entire chicken in one bite.

"That's all for now, but I can stay and play for a bit."

Rumpel raised his hand and levitated a fallen tree. With a wave of his hand, the tree went flying over the castle. Draco flew off after it, and Rumpel felt something hit him on the head. After looking around, he saw that it was a book. Rumpel's eyes widened when he realized what he'd done.

"Oh, shit! Belle! Draco, come back!"

But it was too late. The dragon was gone, but he came back quickly with tree in his jaws and dropped it in front of Rumpel. Belle slowly slid off of Draco and came to stand in front of Rumpel. Her hair was whipped back by the wind and stood on end in places. Rumpel placed his hand over his mouth and tried to stifle his laughter. Belle glared him.

"Not. One. Word."

"I'm sorry, dearie. It was an accident."

_**TBC**_


	35. 35 Crossover - Meeting

**Disclaimer:**** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

"This doesn't seem like a good idea," Jefferson said hesitantly.

Rumpelstiltskin looked back at the hatter and rolled his eyes. "Will you stop worrying? Once I'm done with your hat, you'll be able to come and go between lands as you please no matter how many people are with you."

"Messing with hat can be dangerous. It doesn't like to be tampered with."

The thought of unrestricted travel did sound nice, but Jefferson was still apprehensive. Charming had enlisted Rumpelstiltskin to help fix the broken magic hat to get Emma and Snow back. Jefferson had easily repaired it, and it was now up to Rumpel to enchant it. Ever since magic had come back, Mr. Gold began switching back and forth between his cursed and original form just to mess with people. He was now Mr. Gold minus the cane.

"You act as though the hat's alive." Rumpelstiltskin then proceeded to pour the continents of one of the vials on his table on the top hat. "Everything will be fine. Tell him, Belle."

"I'm not getting involved in this," Belle said quickly. "In fact, I'm getting out of here before something explodes."

Jefferson leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Take me with you."

"I heard that," Rumpel said. "You have to stay here to test out the hat when I finish."

Jefferson hung his head as Belle left giggling. "Have fun, boys. I'll be back later to make sure you're still alive."

With that, Belle left the basement. Rumpel continued fiddling with the hat until a small boom was heard.

"There! All finished." He held of the hat for Jefferson to take. "Go on and test it."

Jefferson stared at the hat for a moment before taking it. Rumpel took a step back as Jefferson spun the hat on the floor. Soon, a vortex formed and both men were shocked to find that the smoke was now black. Jefferson looked up at Rumpel.

"Are you sure it's safe?"

"You've done this hundreds of times. Just jump."

The hatter closed his eyes and silently counted down from ten. He reached one, but before he could jump, the hat started to rise off of the ground. Rumpelstiltskin blinked as the hat floated above their heads.

"That's not supposed to happen."

"You think!" Jefferson yelled. "What have you done to my hat?!"

Rumpel shrugged and turned his attention back to the hat. It had stopped rising and was now about seven feet in the air and spinning at a blinding speed. The hat flipped over and two figures fell out. The hat continued to spin and flew out one of the basement window.

"My hat!" Jefferson cried before teleporting after it.

"Come back here!" Rumpel yelled, but Jefferson was gone leaving him to deal with the room's new occupants.

The two people, one male one female, _seemed_ to be fine. The man was pale and very dirty. His suit had black and white stripes, and his blond-white hair needed a good combing. The girl, however, was much cleaner but equally pale. She had on a red cloak that seemed to have a spider web pattern. Rumpel was broken from his trance by a knock on the basement door.

"Rum. Please tell me you're alive down there."

"I'm fine. I'm just not sure if these two are though."

Belle didn't like his response and quickly entered the basement.

"What did you do?!"

Rumpel simply shrugged and prodded the girl with his foot. This seemed to wake her, and she lifted her head off of the man's chest.

"Beej. What happened? BJ, wake up."

The man's eyes slowly opened, and he sat up slowly. "Lyds. Where the hell are we?"

"How am I supposed to know? The last thing I remember is you running another one of your cons that _literally_ blew up in our faces."

"Oh yeah."

The girl picked herself up and finally noticed Rumpel and Belle standing there. Now at full height, Rumpel noticed that she was no older (or taller for that matter) than Belle. "Uh...Hi. I'm Lydia, and _that _Beetlejuice."

Rumpel blinked. "Beetlejuice? What kind of name is Beetlejuice?"

Beetlejuice stood up. "Hey! Watch the B-words, will ya. Names have power, ya know."

"Believe me, I know. Rumpelstiltskin, at your service, and this is Belle."

Beetlejuice snorted. "Rumpelstiltskin? And you have the nerve to question _my_ name."

Belle and Lydia both giggled. "He's got you there, Rum."

Rumpel glared at Beetlejuice, but his eyes soon widened when he saw that the other man was floating. "What the hell?"

"Beej!" Lydia snapped. Beetlejuice immediately dropped to the ground. "I can explain."

"No need. A floating man is actually kind of normal after living with him." Belle interjected, pointing to Rumpelstiltskin

"Really?"

Belle nudged her husband. "Show them."

Rumpel glared at Belle but did as she asked and turned back into his usual gold-skinned self. Lydia's eyes widen as Rumpelstiltskin stretched. Ever since he brought magic back, Rumpel found that he was more comfortable when he changed back into his original form.

"Much better. I hope it's not too creepy for you, dearie."

Lydia shook her head. "No way. It's cool."

"You're probably the only person other than Belle to think that which means that you're either very weird or completely insane."

"She's both," Beetlejuice said quickly earning him an elbow to the gut. "Ow! I never said it was bad thing, babes."

"Yeah. If I wasn't, I would have been friend with a ghost for ten years."

"A ghost?" Rumpel said slowly. "You expect us to believe that _he _is a ghost."

"We're both ghosts, but I'm not just any ghost. I am the ghost with the most," Beetlejuice said proudly. "the Neitherworld's most powerful spook."

Lydia rolled her eyes. "You're also its biggest pest."

"At least you two have something in common," Belle said with a small smile.

Rumpel glared at his wife. "I'm not a pest!"

"Sure you're not. You still have wanted posters of yourself."

"You too?" Beetlejuice asked. "I had some, but Lyds wouldn't let me keep them."

Rumpelstiltskin was about to reply when Jefferson teleported back in holding his hat.

"You're lucky it didn't get very far. Who's this?"

"This is Lydia and Beetlejuice," Belle explained. "Your hat brought them here by accident."

"Blame your husband. I told him not to mess with the hat's magic, but he wouldn't listen to me."

"Sell out," Rumpel muttered. "It was an accident. I'm sure I can find a way to send them back to wherever they came from."

"That won't be necessary," Lydia said. "Just point us to the biggest mirror you have, and we'll be on our way."

Rumpel snapped his fingers and the large mirror he'd kept covered in his castle appeared. "Will this do?"

"Perfect! Well, it was nice meeting you but we really must be on our way," Beetlejuice said, quickly shaking hands with all three of them. "Me and Lyds were 'scaring up some fun' and would like to get back to it, know what I mean."

Lydia sighed and grabbed him by the tie. "Come on, BJ. Let's get out of here before we nearly get exorcised…again."

"That was an accident, babes. I didn't know the guy was a priest."

Two ghosts walked towards the mirror but ended up walking straight through it as if it wasn't there.

"That's not supposed to happen," Beetlejuice said dumbly. He tried to touch the mirror from the other side, but it went through it again.

"Well, I guess the curse works on ghosts too," Jefferson observed before putting on his hat and leaving.

Lydia watched him go and looked at Belle and Rumpel. "What curse?"

"You're in Storybrooke," Belle explained. "The entire town is cursed so that no one can get in or out."

"What idiot did that?" Beetlejuice asked. Belle glanced at Rumpelstiltskin who did his best to look innocent. "Well, it looks like we have a new place to haunt then. Please tell there's someone in this town that's strong but not too bright. They're the most fun to scare."

"There are plenty of those," Rumpel said quickly. "There's one in particular called James who loves to come bother me. Feel free to scare him as much as you like."

An evil smirk formed of Beetlejuice's face. "Ooh. Is he one of those gallant pretty boys? They always scream like little girls."

"Yes, he is. Could you scare Gaston too? He's been trying to flirt with my wife, and she won't let me harm him anymore."

"Gladly!" Beetlejuice threw his arm around Rumpelstiltskin's shoulder as the two headed up the stairs. "You know, I think this is the beginning of a _beautiful _friendship."

In the basement, both Belle and Lydia sighed and shook their heads. "What hell have we unleashed on this town?"

_**TBC**_


	36. 36 Crossover -Seeing Double

**Disclaimer:**** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

"You really need to check out Gol-Rumpelstiltskin's house."

David's head snapped up to look at Ruby. "What's wrong? He's working on fixing that hat, and I promised I wouldn't bother him in exchange for finding it."

"There's been this weird moaning coming from the house since magic came back," Leroy supplied. "It's weirding people out."

"You guys are just jumpy because he has his powers back. He and Belle are probably just celebrating having their memories back, but if it makes you feel better, I'll go look."

Both Ruby and Leroy shuddered at the thought of Rumpelstiltskin and Belle. When they were cursed, it had been gross. Now, it was downright creepy.

* * *

On the other side of town, Rumpelstiltskin carefully looked out of his window in hopes of spotting the town's fill in sheriff. David was nowhere in sight, so Rum called back to the ghost in his living room.

"Are you ready for this, BJ?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Beetlejuice materialized as a perfect copy of Rumpel. "If you can't count on yourself, who can you count on?"

On the couch, Lydia and Belle looked up at the two Rumpels. They'd been planning this little prank for days, and the girls had no intention on interfering. Pass or fail, it was going be funny with those two involved.

"Just when I thought my marriage couldn't get any worse," Belle said dryly. "There's another one to worry about."

Beetle-Rum cleared his throat dramatically and came to kneel by Belle's side. "Sweetheart. I don't know how to tell you this, but I've been cheating on you."

Lydia covered her mouth with her hand. Their practicing had paid off, and the two men could do perfect imitations of each other. Her grin only grew when Belle went along with his act.

"Rum," she said mock tearfully. "How could you? How long has this been going on?"

"For years, dearie. I just didn't have the heart to tell you."

"Who is it? Can you at least tell me that?"

"You'll hate me even more for this, but I will tell you. It was…Granny from the diner."

That was it for Belle. She fell back on the couch in stitches. Both Lydia and Belle were rolling with laughter as the real Rumpel glared at his double.

"You sick bastard."

"I know you are but what am I?" Beetle-Rum said with Rumpel's high-pitched voice.

"Completely deranged," Rumpel mumbled. "The thought of me with that old bat is just sick."

"Aren't you _centuries _old anyway?" Lydia asked after recovering from laughter. "If it wasn't for your curse, you'd be dead as me and Beej."

Rumpelstiltskin realized that he couldn't argue with her and looked out the window again. He then spotted David Nolan walking towards his house and grinned evilly.

"It's showtime!"

Beetle-Rum glared at him before he was gone in a puff of smoke. "That's my line!"

At the door, both Rumpels appeared with matching smirks, and the original opened the door before David could knock.

"Rumpelstiltskin I-" The prince stopped short at the sight of two imps instead of one. "There are two of you."

"Nice to see that you can count," Beetle-Rum said sarcastically.

"Magic here is tricky, and even I haven't gotten just right yet. A spell misfired on me, and he appeared," said Rumpel pointing at his doppelganger. "He's very useful when I work."

David continued to look back and forth between the two imps. "Wait. There are two of you."

"Well, it's safe to say that Snow doesn't want you for your brains," Beetle-Rum said.

"We knew that from the start. He's a shepherd, what do you expect?"

"The same thing you expect, very little."

David had finally snapped out of his confusion and realized that he was being insulted. "Hey! I didn't come over here for this, but since I'm here, you can tell me what you plan to do with him."

"I'm keeping him, of course," Rumpel said, throwing his arm around Beetle-Rum's shoulders. "It's nice to be able to talk to myself and get a real reply."

"Plus, it's not as if…

"…I can just get rid of him."

"He is me…

"…and I am him. I can't kill him…

"…and he can't kill me."

"That would be suicide." They said in unison

David clutched his head in pain. Hearing those two finish each other's sentences had made him dizzy. He rubbed his eyes and say one of the Rumpels begin to fade away. Soon, the second Dark-One was gone, and David rubbed his eyes again.

"What the-How the-Where'd he go?!"

"He was never there, dearie. Surely, you've seen a hologram spell done before."

The look on his face was truly priceless. Rumpelstiltskin savored his victory before slamming the door in David's face. He quickly materialized in the living room along with Beetlejuice. Both men were laughing like maniacs.

"Did you see his face?!" Rumpel asked between fits of laughter.

"Priceless!"

Both Belle and Lydia shook their heads and held back laughter of their own. With those two together, the two women knew that this was only the beginning.

_**TBC**_


	37. 37 Mistakes

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

"ACHOO! Sorry about that, Mr. Gold. I have your refill already in the back."

Gold held back a look of disgust as the former dwarf went and found his pills. The pharmacy door opened, and Marco came to stand behind Gold. Among the racks of medicine, Tom sneezed again.

"Marco! I have what you ordered ready as well. Just give me second to find it."

"Take all the time you need. I'm in no hurry," the carpenter replied.

"But I am," Gold interrupted. "Could we please hurry this along?" Belle's lunch break would be over in an hour, and she was waiting for him in his shop.

"Sure thing, Mr. Gold." Tom came back with two white bags. Suddenly, a large sneeze hit him, making Tom drop both bags. "Oh. Sorry. Here you go."

Tom picked up the bags and hand one to each man. Gold paid quickly and left the pharmacy. Halfway to his shop, a jolt of pain shot through his leg forcing him to stop and pop two pills. The pain was gone by the time he reached the shop.

He quickly found Belle in the back busy making tea for the both of them. She didn't seem to hear him enter giving Gold the chance to stare at his wife unabashedly. The blue dress she wore complimented her figure nicely without being extremely tight and stopped just bellow her knees. It matched her eyes perfectly and left her shoulders bare. At that moment Gold remembered once again how lucky he was to have her and smiled to himself.

As silently as possible, he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Belle smiled and pressed her back to his chest. She felt something hard press against her thigh and grinned even harder.

"Is that your cane, or are you happy to see me?"

Gold placed his chin on her shoulder. "I'm always happy to see you, sweetheart."

"You seem extra happy today. What's gotten into you?"

"I don't know. Perhaps it's just the spring fever kicking in." He suddenly started raining kisses down her neck and shoulder causing Belle to let out a light moan.

"I only have an hour left on my break."

He turned her around to face him and grinned down at her. "Then, we'll have to make the most of it, won't we?"

* * *

Roughly an hour later, Belle smiled and regretfully untangled herself from her husband's arms.

"You really were happy to see me. It's a shame we couldn't drag this out, love."

Gold groaned and tried to pull her back to him. "You could stay here. The library will be fine."

She laughed at him when he started pouting and placed a soft kiss on his lips before searching the back room for her discarded clothing.

"You could come with me. I know today has been slow for you."

Mr. Gold sat back in his chair with a lazy smile on his face. "I would, dearie, but I think you've broken me this time. I can't feel anything below my waist at the moment, but rest assured we will pick this up again when we get home."

Belle smoothed out her dress and smiled at him. "I'm holding you to just that, Rum."

After kissing him softly once more, Belle left the shop, but Gold didn't move. Though he'd been with Belle plenty of times before, this time had felt odd. His entire body had felt as though he'd been struck by lightning. A jolt of electricity seemed to run through him every time Belle had touched him. He hadn't felt so alive since their first time, and he had no idea why. Maybe it really was spring fever. Gold had no idea what it was, but he was certain that he wanted to do it again.

* * *

"I can't take it anymore," Belle said to the women surrounding her. Using sheer will power, Belle had pried herself away from her husband on Sunday night. "If he keeps this up, I'm going lock myself in the house with him and never leave again."

"You are experiencing every married woman's dream," Ashley said. "Do you know what I would give to have Sean screw me uninterrupted for _one _hour let alone four?"

Belle took another drink. "It wasn't continuous. He stopped every hour or so to catch his breath and change positions."

"You lucky bitch."

"You call that lucky? I had to cancel on you all yesterday because he left me too sore to get out of bed."

"Let me ask you this," Ruby said with a drunken smile. "Did the words no or stop ever come out your mouth during your little fuck-a-thon?"

"Ruby!" Mary-Margret snapped as Belle started blushing. She'd forgotten every word she knew other than his name after the first few minutes.

"What? Judging by Annie's reaction, I'm guessing that she didn't once try to stop her energizer bunny of a husband and must now live with the side effects."

Belle was about to reply when her phone went off. She knew who it was before she even picked it up.

"Yes, love?"

_"Did you eat the last of the cherries? I don't see them anywhere."_

"No. They're in the back behind the eggs, and you'd better not eat all of them."

She heard him chuckle darkly and shivered. He was definitely up to something. _"Oh, Belle. I'm not going to be eating them. You are when you get home while I eat you."_

"W-What?"

The other women watched Belle's face grow redder and redder as he told her his plan. When she could take no more, Belle abruptly ended the call and placed the phone down as calmly as her shaking hands allowed.

"What did he say?" Emma asked.

"Let's just say, it involves him, me, cherries, and a lot of whipped cream."

"I always knew he was a freak!" Ruby declared. "Has he tried the _Fifty Shades_ thing on you yet?"

Belle turned redder and tried to banish the dirty thoughts her husband had placed in her mind.

"I just wish I knew what brought this on. He's always been good, but this is…insanely good."

This was followed by a round of theories.

"It's probably just spring fever. It'll pass."

"He might be having a mid-life crisis."

"I bet he's on Viagra."

"Maybe he's just trying to get you pregnant.

* * *

It wasn't until the next day that Belle got her answer. Marco, formerly known as Geppetto, entered the diner while she was on her break. The handyman came up to Belle looking very sheepish.

"Mrs. Gold. May I have a word with you about your husband?"

"Sure Marco. He should be here in minute if you need to talk to him in person."

"No. This entire situation is embarrassing as it is."

Belle looked at him, now slightly concerned. "What is it?"

"There seems to have been a mix up on Friday at the Pharmacy." Marco pulled a bottle out of his pocket. "Our pills accidentally got switched. I didn't notice myself until yesterday."

"I'm sorry. I hope it didn't inconvenience you too much."

"Don't worry. My date was not too disappointed."

Date? "What kind of pills did my husband get exactly?"

Marco started blushing and looked at his lap. "They were…male enhancement pills. Please. Have him bring them to me when he can."

He then made a hasty retreat, and Ruby came by grinning. "I knew it! Emma, MM, and Ashley all owe me twenty bucks."

_**TBC**_

**Since there's no OUAT tonight, I'm posting this for all those patiently awaiting next Sunday like me.  
**


	38. 38 Strength and Weakness

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

"Are you sure you don't want to rest, sweetheart? I don't mind making breakfast."

Belle turned off the stove and glared at her husband over her shoulder. "If you ask me that again, I'm going to hit you. I'm pregnant not invalid."

Mr. Gold chuckled and wrapped his arms around her as best he could. His darling Belle was seven months pregnant with his child. He'd been acting like a mother hen since she told him she was pregnant and showed no signs of stopping. He refused to let something happen to either of his girls. Belle held his heart and soul, and the life they'd created was equally precious if not more so. He would do anything to protect them. That single thought made him feel stronger than ever.

"I know," he said, plucking the spatula from her hand. "I just don't want you overexerting yourself. When you do, our daughter takes it out on me at night. Now sit down. I'll finish up here."

Belle sighed but did as he asked. If he wanted to act like her personal slave, there was little she could do to stop him. He'd been more attentive than ever after she told him she was with child. He refused to let her out of his sight for more than an hour and had even found someone to take over the library for her. Belle sat down and felt a sharp pain followed by a wet sensation down her thigh.

"Rum. I think the baby's coming."

Gold nearly dropped the plate as he rushed to her side. "What?! She's not due for another two months."

Her breath hitched as another sharp pain hit her. "Apparently, she wants to come early."

* * *

"Will you stop pacing? You're giving me a headache."

Mr. Gold glared at Moe French and continued pacing the floor of the hospital. Belle had been in there for hours and both men were getting worried. Finally, the door opened and Dr. Whale came out looking grim.

"I'm sorry Mr. Gold. They didn't make it."

Gold finally stopped pacing and walked up to Whale. "What?"

"There were...complications during the birth. I'm sorry. They both died."

Numbly, Gold found a chair and slumped down in it. Gone. They were both gone. He felt a shadow come over him and looked up to find Moe standing over him. Tears were rolling down the larger man's face as well.

"You killed her. You and your demon seed killed her. I always knew you would be the death of her. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Gold could no longer look up at Moe and put his head in his hands. "I'm sorry. Belle, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"Rum!"

Mr. Gold's eyes snapped open as he awoke gasping for air. He looked to his left and saw Belle, alive and well, staring at him. Without a word, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. She let him and rubbed his back to calm him down. It broke her heart seeing him like this. Knowing that his own memories and thoughts tormented him made her want to do nothing more than hold him and never let go. She especially wished that she'd known about this sooner.

Despite having lived with Rumpelstiltskin for years, Belle had never spent the night in his bed when they stayed it the Dark Castle. Now in Storybrooke, she'd come to love it. Falling asleep and waking up in his arms had become a necessity, and she soon found herself unable to sleep properly without him. Mr. Gold's sleeping patterns were another matter entirely. It was after their first week together under the curse that Belle found out about his nightmares.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked softly just as she did every time he had a nightmare.

He shook his head and kept his face buried in her chest. This was a new nightmare for him. Usually, it was just flashes of memories from the Ogre War or losing Bae. He'd grown used to those. This one was new and had terrified him than ever. He felt Belle's hand slowly run through his hair and released a shaky breath.

"It's alright, Rum," he heard her say above him. "It was just a dream. I'm here."

That seemed to do the trick. His breathing slowly evened out, and his heart returned to its normal speed. Traces of the nightmare still lingered in his mind, however, and he remained pressed against her breast. Belle said nothing and kissed his forehead as he tried to focus on her. The scent of roses that always clung to her smooth skin, the soft touch of her hand as she petted him, anything to banish the nightmare from his mind.

"I'm sorry for waking you," he muttered after a while.

"Don't apologize," she said, brushing his hair out of his eyes. "I don't mind. Do you think you can go back to sleep?"

He nodded mutely and closed his eyes. "I love you, Belle," he whispered. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Belle smiled a bit and continued to run her hand through his hair. "I love you too, Rum, and you'll never have to find out. I'm not going anywhere."

Gold kissed her softly before settling once again in her arms. She was the only one who would ever see him like this. When he was at his weakest, he could trust her to stay strong for the both of them.

_**TBC**_


	39. 39 Maturity

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

"Am not!

"Are to!"

"Am not!

"Are to!"

Belle's eyes snapped open at the sound of two high-pitched voices arguing. Rubbing her eyes, Belle left the library and wandered downstairs to where the noise was coming from. The arguing got louder when she got to main hall, but she didn't see anyone until she walked around the table. There, just in front of the door, stood two children no older than five.

"Am not!

"Are to!"

"Stop it both of you!"

The two stopped arguing and looked up at her. Belle gasped when she saw the boy's face. This skin on his face and hands was a deep gold color.

"Rumpelstiltskin? Is that you?"

"Oh course it is," snapped the girl beside him before he could answer. Her black hair was down and braided, and she wore a black dress. "Do you know anyone else that's this ugly?"

"Rumpel glared at her. "Shut it, Reggie! Why are you even here?"

"As I told you before, I can't go back to my palace looking like this," she said, gesturing to her current form. "If Snow White and her little prince found out, she'd use it to her advantage and kill me. Not even my guards would take me seriously, and don't call me Reggie!"

The imp-child crossed his arms. "Well, you can't stay here!"

"You're the one who got us into this mess in the first place!" Regina yelled, point her finger at him.

Rumpel stepped up to her until they were face to face only now Regina was taller than him by a few inches. "I'm not the one who tried to rip wings off of a fairy!"

"No. All you did was try to still its wand. I had things perfectly under control until you showed up."

He snickered. "Sure you did. That's why the little bugger was flying circles around you when I got there."

The mini-Evil Queen glared at him. She then crossed her arms and took a seat on the floor. "I doesn't matter what happened or how. What matters is that she turned us into children, and we have to wait for it to wear off."

Rumpel flicked his hands and the doors opened. "Well, you can wait somewhere while I am going to eat. Don't let the door hit you on the way out when you finally regain your senses." With that, he turned to Belle and grinned up at her. "What are we having for dinner, dearie?'

Belle had to stare at him for a moment. He still looked the same as before he'd left only now he barely reached her knee. After a moment, she got over her shock and formed a reply.

"I-I had planned on making that stew you like for dinner."

"Excellent! Best get start then. It takes a while to cook, you know, but I'll help you."

Belle stared at the grinning child another moment before grabbing him around the waist and picking him up. Rumpel squirmed in her grasp but could not escape.

"Stop that before I drop you," she threatened before carrying the mini-Dark One to the kitchen.

* * *

"Be careful with that knife, Rum."

Rumpelstiltskin looked up at Belle from where he was chopping carrots.

"I know how to use a knife, dearie. I'm not a child." Both females looked at him; one glared at him while the other was holding back laughter. "Oh, right."

"Why don't you two go outside and play? I can finish up here."

Regina gave an unladylike snort from her seat at the table. "Just because we look like children does not mean—"

"Tag, you're it!" Rumpelstiltskin took off running through the kitchen door. Regina glared after him but soon took off behind him.

* * *

A few hours later, Belle sat in the library reading with a small smile. On either end of the settee were Rumpelstiltskin and Regina. Both had tired themselves out, eaten their fill, and then tired themselves out again. Draco had been wary of Regina at first but relaxed a bit when he realized she was less dangerous than before. That did not stop him, however, from burning the tip of her lead to another argument that only stopped when Belle called them for dinner.

It had amazed Belle how much the two argued. It was as if they'd actually grown up a siblings. Rumpel hadn't told her himself, but it was obvious that the two had a long history with each other. Seeing him both asleep like this reminded Belle that Rumpel at one time along with Regina were human. That meant that they both had to have been children with parents at some point. Belle smiled at the thought and looked at them both before returning to her book. A few more minutes passed before she too dozed off. While she slept, both sorcerers awoke due to the familiar tingling of magic before they turned back to their normal age.

"We are never speaking of this again," said a now full-sized Regina, smoothing out her skirt.

Rumpelstiltskin nodded. "Agreed."

_**TBC**_

**The winter finale is once again upon us but don't worry. I will still be posting every Sunday. For those you who need an extra Rumbelle fix, check out my other works and answer the poll on my profile if you can.  
**


	40. 40 Success

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

"Honestly, Rum. Which one looks better?"

Rumpelstiltskin looked at the two books Belle held. "You shouldn't judge book by its cover, dearie. If you want both, just get them."

She looked at him hopefully. "Are you sure?"

"Positive." He reached into the pouch at his belt and pulled out a few gold coins. "Here's some extra gold to pay for everything. Now, go on and get your books. I'm going to see what else is for sale."

With that, he left the small book shop. The town below this castle had grown used to Belle coming in to get his straw or to check out the book shop. Every now and then, Rumpel would go with her. The townspeople gave him wide berth at first, but now were a little less wary of him. Today, the market had numerous things for sale. Everything from food to armor were in stalls and shops, and Rumpel decided to see if there were any good boots to buy. The pair he currently wore were old and needed to either be fixed or replaced.

Rumpel turned a corner and entered the cobbler's shop. Three large men, obviously soldiers, stood in front of the terrified cobbler. One had a sword at his throat while the other two searched the shop.

"This town and everyone in it must help supply Duke Edward's army. There's enough in this shop only a small portion of His Majesty's army, and we need the rest within a week."

The cobbler was only a bit taller than Rumpelstiltskin himself and was shaking. "This is all I have to sell. If I don't, my family won't eat for a month."

"That would be your problem, wouldn't it? You had just better-"

"Leave him alone!" Both Rumpel and the soldiers looked up, and saw a boy, no older than ten, at the top of the stairs. He rushed down and stood directly in front of the tallest soldier. "Leave my Papa alone, you bully!"

The three soldiers laughed at him, and cobbler stuttered out an apology and grabbed his son. "You'll have to excuse him. You know how boys are. My wife and I have tried to control him, but he's very spirited."

"Say no more. He will make a fine soldier in a few years."

The cobbler looked up in shock. "What?"

"Sure. He needs to grow a bit first, but I'm sure His Majesty will find some use for him when he's older."

It was at that moment that Rumpelstiltskin saw red. The soldiers finally noticed him just as a purple glow appeared around his hands. Before any of them could speak, he lifted his hands, and all three soldiers were lifted off of the ground. The men pawed at their throats but there was nothing there to grab.

"Ah, ah, ah. I've heard all I needed to hear from you. You three are going to listen to me now. Run home to your Duke like the scalded dogs you are and tell him that this town and everyone in it are under the protection of the Dark One." A wicked smile formed on the imp's face. "Take these as proof."

Out of his pouch floated six strands of gold thread, and each one wrapped themselves tightly around the soldiers' hands before Rumpel left them drop to the floor.

"You'd better hurry. The threads will get tighter every minute. If one of you doesn't tell him by sunset, the threads will cut through your hands."

"But the Duke's castle is a day's ride away," one of them choked out.

Rumpel's evil smile grew. "Then I suggest you hurry off then."

The soldiers looked at each other before scrambling out of the shop. With them gone, Rumpelstiltskin took a seat in one of the chairs and began removing his boots. Both the cobbler and his son stared at he came towards them with his boots in hand.

"Now that they're gone, you can get to work repairing these, and I'll need a pair to walk home in."

The cobbler remained silent before taking the shoes. "T-Thank you for helping us. I'll have these done right away, free of charge. Please pick any pair you like."

The Dark One said nothing and began looking around the shop for new boots. His bare feet made no sound as he padded around the shop looking for the perfect pair of boots. He eventually came across a dark brown pair that he liked and put them on.

"A perfect fit." Rumpel took out a handful of gold coins, more than enough for both the shoes and the repair job, and placed them in the young boy's hands. "Here you go. My caretaker has taken a liking to this little town, and she would hate for an idiotic Duke to move in and destroy this place. Therefore, she managed to convince me to protect this place…unless you have any objections."

The cobbler shook his head fiercely. "N-no sir."

"Excellent!" the imp chirped happily. "Be sure to inform the rest of the town of the new arrangement. I'll be back for my boots in a few days."

With that done, Rumpelstiltskin left the cobbler's shop grinning. He'd rid a town of of some unruly soldiers, gotten some new boots, and Belle had bought a large ham for dinner. He may have even dismembered a few soldiers if they didn't make it home in time. Yes. Today had been very successful indeed.

_**TBC**_


	41. 41 Arguements

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

In every relationship, there are bad days. Belle and Rumpelstiltskin had a strong relationship, so those bad days were few in number. The ones they had, however, were a bit...explosive.

"Will you drop it already?" Rumpel snapped. "I'm not going to apologize. They deserved what they got."

"You cut off their _hands_, Rum!"

The Dark-One rolled his eyes. It had been a month since the incident in the cobbler's shop, and Belle had heard it when they returned from two gossiping women. She'd kept silent until they returned home. The second they stepped inside the Dark Castle she'd rounded on him and asked him about it. Seeing no reason to lie, he told her exactly what he'd done in hopes that she'd let it go when she heard the full story. He'd been wrong.

"You act as though that's the worst thing you've heard me to do. At least I let them live."

Belle let out a frustrated growl. "That's not the point!"

Rumpel crossed his arms and leaned against the table. "Then what is the point, dearie? They were harassing a harmless man, and I got rid of them. End of story. You should be happy that I did a good deed free of charge for once."

"And what about the wives of those men who now have handless husbands?"

"I highly doubt that any of them were married, but if they were, I probably did their wives a favor as well. Men like that aren't know for their tenderness."

"Men like you, you mean," she snapped.

His was on her before she could blink. For the first time, Belle felt a sliver of fear at the sight of him. His brown eyes had turned a blazing bronze color, and she could feel his magic crackling in the air around them.

"I may be a lot of things, dearie," he said, his voice practically a growl. "but I am NOTHING like them. I offer people a chance to improve their lives for a price. Men like those soldiers take and take until you have nothing left and when you do, they kick you to the dirt and kill you. I may be a monster, but there are some things even I wouldn't do."

His rage was obvious, but Belle could hear sadness in his voice as well. It was as if he'd experienced the things he'd just said first hand. Then it was clear to her. This much anger of those soldiers was from something else. This was over something personal. She then remembered that he hadn't always been the Dark-One. He'd been just an ordinary man with no magic and no way to fight back against men bigger and more powerful than him.

Rumpelstiltskin waited for Belle to say something only to be startled when she hugged him tightly. He stood there surprised for a moment until he heard her speak into his vest. "You're right. I'm sorry for comparing you to them. You're not a monster."

He returned her hug and kissed her hair. "It's alright, dearie. I won't apologize for what I did, but I am sorry for not telling you sooner."

"It's not what I'd hoped for, but I'll take it," she said with a small laugh. Belle knew that this was the best she was going to get from him. "Just don't do it again."

Rumpel nodded, and she kissed his cheek. "And _try_ to control your temper next time."

A familiar wicked grin appeared on his face. "I can make you no promises except that I will try."

_**TBC**_


	42. 42 Kindness

**Disclaimer:**** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**This was done as an early Christmas gift for Ryunn Kazan.**

"I don't like it."

"Come on, Rum. They're cute."

Mr. Gold continued to frown as he watched Draco run around the snowy park. Normally, he didn't mind this, but today Draco was running with a friend. A beautiful Dalmatian had stolen Draco's chew toy forcing the larger dog to chase after her. So far, the Dalmatian had been able to outwit Draco causing him to land in a pile of snow, but he refused to give up.

"You know what happened in the story. If Draco fathers fifteen puppies, they're not staying with us."

Belle shook her head and took another sip of her hot chocolate. "They're just having fun. I wonder who owns her."

Across the park, a man duck to avoid a well-aimed snowball. It missed his face, but his top hat was not so lucky. The dark hat was hit by the snow and fell off his head. This was followed by another snowball that hit its mark. Jefferson laughed at this as he wiped the cold snow off of his face and retrieved his hat. A few feet away, a little girl laughed as well.

"I finally got you, papa!"

"That you did Grace." Jefferson put his hat back on and the saw that Grace shivering. "Come on. Time to go in and warm you up."

Grace raced over and took her father's hand only to stop once they started leaving the park. "Papa. What about Penny?"

Jefferson mentally cursed himself for nearly forgetting Penny. The Dalmatian had been his one tie to Grace during the curse. Left secretly by Jefferson near her house around her birthday, Penny had been quickly adopted by Grace and for years had been the only gift he was able to give her. When the curse broke, Grace had happily moved back with her papa with Penny in tow.

"How could I forget?" He turned around, but Penny was nowhere in sight. "Penny! Penny! Here, girl."

The hatter even whistled, but the dog still didn't come. Grace looked up at her father fearfully.

"What if she's hurt in the snow, papa?"

"I'm sure she's fine, Grace. She's probably playing and can't hear us. Let's go find her."

After walking around the park for a bit, Jefferson spotted Penny playing with a familiar gold-colored dog. He then noticed the two figures sitting on the bench and bent down to whisper in Grace's ear.

On the bench, Mr. Gold had just taken a sip of his own hot chocolate when he felt something cold hit the back of his head. He whirled around, ready to snap at whoever had thrown the snowball, only to spot Jefferson and Grace laughing. Belle soon joined them when Grace pointed at her father who did his best to look innocent.

"Hello, Rumpel. Fancy meeting you here."

Belle tried to stifle her laughter but failed miserably. Jefferson and Rumpel were both grown men, but when they were together, they acted like small children.

"Hatter," Gold growled, getting to his feet.

Jefferson quickly realized his mistake and took off running. Gold raised his hand and made the snow around them rise and chase Jefferson. In his haste, the hatter ran into the two playing dogs and tripped. Jefferson and both of the dogs were covered by a heap of snow. After a moment of struggling, all three of them dislodged their heads from the snow, and Penny licked Jefferson's face.

"Well, you did find Penny, papa," Grace said between giggles.

Satisfied with his victory, Gold sat down again and watched Penny get out of the snow and run to Grace. Draco quickly followed suit and ran to her as well. The young girl's laughter soon echoed throughout the park, and Jefferson sat down beside the Golds smiling.

"You seem cheery for once," Rumpel said to Jefferson with a knowing smile.

"I finally get to spend Christmas with my daughter. We set up a tree, hung the lights, and I'm making dinner. Grace is so excited."

Both Golds knew that Grace wasn't the only one that was excited about Christmas. The gleam in Jefferson's eyes told them that he was really into the Christmas spirit.

"Papa, can Uncle Rumpel and Aunt Belle come over for Christmas?"

The two men were at a loss for words, but Belle smiled at Grace. "Of course we'll come."

Mr. Gold looked at his wife. "What?"

"You were complaining yesterday about how Snow and Charming's party is all everyone's talking about and that you wanted to get away from it all. Jefferson's house is in the middle of nowhere. No offense."

"None taken. I like my privacy, and it beats the pink doll house you live in."

"It's salmon," Gold snapped, but Belle did have a point. A quiet Christmas in the woods would be nice. "Fine. We'll come. Just tell us what time."

* * *

"Dinner was great, papa," Grace sad when her father walked out of the kitchen.

Jefferson had gone all out for Christmas. A huge tree sat in his den, and stockings hung on the mantle above the fireplace. Mr. Gold had snapped his fingers and started a fire upon his arrival, warming the entire room. Penny and Draco were currently fast asleep together in front of the fire having eaten their fill at dinner.

"You have your aunt to thank. The glazed ham was her idea. I'm starting to see why Rumpel's gotten fat."

The imp's head shot up at this. "Fat?!"

Belle giggled at patted his stomach. "You have put on a little weight, Rum. Maybe you should cut down on the Christmas cookies."

"Do you hear that, Grace? They're insulting me after I got you all presents."

Grace giggled. "It's alright, Uncle Rumpel. I don't care if you're fat. Now, what did you get me?"

Gold couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm and pointed with his cane to a little silver box under the tree. "That one's yours."

The little girl practically ran to the tree and tore open the box. Inside was a gold charm bracelet. A top hat, teacup, and a grinning cat head were just some of the charms that hung from it. While Grace awed at the gift, Gold leaned over and whispered to Jefferson.

"There's a protection and locator charm on it. As long as she has it on, she'll be safe and able to find you." Gold reached into his jacket and pulled out and envelope. "Here's your gift."

Jefferson smiled at him and shook the envelope. "Thank you. This had better not be money."

"Just open it."

The hatter did just that, and pulled out a single sheet of paper. It was old and on it was a drawing. It was a woman sleeping with her hands resting protectively on her stomach. Beside her was a man, Jefferson, fast asleep as well with his head on her shoulder and one hand over hers. A small smile had formed on both their lips, and the woman looked just like Grace.

"Papa, why are you crying? What's wrong?"

Jefferson hadn't realized that he was crying until Grace spoke. He sniffed and dried his eyes with his sleeve. "Nothing's wrong, sweetie. Why don't you open the rest of your gifts."

Grace didn't need to be told twice and went back to crouch beneath the tree.

"How?" Jefferson asked, turning back to Gold.

"I drew that the night the night you two came to celebrate Alice being pregnant with Grace. I was the last one awake and decided to sketch you both before bed. I wanted to give it to you sooner, but I never found the right moment."

Jefferson looked at the picture again before pulling Gold into a hug. The pawnbroker let him and patted his back. Jefferson pulled away and quickly went to help Grace unwrap her gifts.

"That was sweet of you," Belle said nudging her husband.

"I do know how to be nice, you know," he replied smiling.

She touched the gold rose pendant that he'd given her this morning and smiled back at him. She then wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer. "Oh, I know."

_**TBC**_

**Merry Ch****ristmas and Happy Holidays to all!**_**  
**_


	43. 43 Protection

**Disclaimer:**** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

"Come on, Rumpel. It's time for a break."

Mr. Gold's eyes opened slowly as he tried to pull away from Belle. His lack of food and sleep had left him too weak to fight off his wife as she led him out of the basement. Bringing back magic had also brought back some of his old habits. While Belle did enjoy seeing his impish smile again, she did not like seeing her husband work himself to death again. She especially disliked sleeping alone because he decided to work overnight. After waking up alone for the third time in one week, Belle decided to take action.

"I'm…fine…Need…work."

"You're not fine! You're tired and hungry." Belle let him fall into a chair in the kitchen and watched his eyelids fall again. "You're not as strong as you were before in this world, Rum. You can't go a month without eating or sleeping and be fine here. You need food and rest."

Gold was about to argue with her, but his stomach let out a loud growl. Belle won had once again, and he was secretly glad that they weren't keeping count.

"Just for a few hours, sweetheart," he bargained. "Then I have to finish."

Knowing that she'd won, Belle smiled down at him and placed a plate in front of him. "Deal. Now eat."

One bite of Belle's cooking reminded him just how hungry he was. Without another protest, he began shoveling food into his mouth like no tomorrow. Belle was slightly worried that he'd end up biting his tongue, but he was finished before she could warn him. Gold quickly downed his tea and let out a loud burp. This was then followed by an even louder yawn.

"Your cooking is worse than a sleeping curse," he mumbled rubbing his eyes.

Belle giggled and pulled him up. "You're just tired, love."

He nodded mutely before yawning again. With a tired grin, Gold turned and kissed her. "I love you, Belle. You always want what's best for me."

"Yes, I do," she said caressing his cheek. He hadn't shaved in days, and the stubble that had grown tickled her palm. "Now what's best for you is sleep. Go on upstairs to bed, Rum."

He nuzzled her hand for a moment before leaving the kitchen.

* * *

Belle quickly cleaned and left the kitchen to go check on her husband on to stop short in the living room. Mr. Gold had been so tired that he hadn't even made it to the stairs. Instead, he'd collapsed on the couch and was now dead to the world. Belle smiled at the sight of him and began removing his shoes and socks. She was careful not to wake him and then removed his tie and belt as well. He was still asleep when she finished, and Belle let her fingers run through his hair before letting her hand run down his face. Gold seemed to recognize her even in sleep and grabbed her wrist.

"Belle," he murmured against the back of her hand. "Stay."

Belle was about to reply when she heard a knock at the door. She let her nails run across his cheek. "Of course, Rum," she whispered. "Just give me one moment.

He loosened his grip, and she quickly went to answer the door before the knocking could wake him up. Belle was shocked to find David Nolan at the door and opened it a bit wider.

"Good morning, David. What can I do for you?"

"I need to see Rumpelstiltskin, Belle."

"He's not dealing today. Come back tomorrow," she replied quickly and tried to close the door.

David put his foot in the door to keep her from closing it. "Belle, it's really important. We need magic to beat Regina. We need his help."

Belle's eyes narrowed. "You need his help? You were so quick to lock him up for using magic twenty-eight years ago, but now you want him to use magic to help you _again_."

"Belle. He was hurting people. Cinderella -"

"- made a deal with my husband without reading the fine print. I'm not saying that his price was fair, but she should have thought twice about the deal before signing the contract. Instead, she ran to you to keep from paying him, and you locked him up. Now, I'm telling you one last time. Come back tomorrow, or I will get rid of you myself."

The two of them then heard a loud growl, and Belle felt something press against her legs. Draco had sensed her ire and was more than happy to help him mistress get rid of the unwanted prince especially after he'd slain one of Draco's kind for King Midas. David took a step from the door at the sight of the dragon/dog. Draco had never really liked him, and it wasn't until after the curse broke that he figured out why.

"Alright. Tell Rumpelstiltskin that I'll be back tomorrow."

"Of course, David." Belle smiled sweetly at him before slamming the door in his face.

Now alone, Belle went back into the living room with Draco on her heels. She grabbed a book off the coffee table before sitting in the space above Gold's head. Still asleep, Gold quickly inched up the couch until his head rested on her lap. Belle held her book on the arm of the couch with one hand and let the other drift over her husband's head and shoulders. Gold let out a content sigh and snuggled further into her lap.

Belle felt the couch shift and saw that Draco had hopped on the couch and snuggled against Gold's chest. Gold let him, thankful for the extra warmth, and threw an arm over the dog.

Belle opened her book with a smile at what she'd just done. David would hopefully relay the message to the rest of the town that the Dark-One was taking a day off. If not, she'd deal with anyone else who came to the door. Rumpelstiltskin had protected her from others since they'd met. Now, it was her turn to protect him.

_**TBC**_


	44. 44 Cute

**Disclaimer:**** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

"_I really hate you sometimes, you know that?"_

Belle laughed at Rumpelstiltskin and picked him up. He'd once again made a slight miscalculation with a spell. This error ended up turning him into cat. Belle had been laughing for a good ten minutes after finding him. She finally calmed down when he hissed at her and held him up in the air. She could tell by his scowl that he was not pleased.

"I can't help it. You just look so cute, Rum."

Rumpel let out an unhappy screech. _"I am not cute. I will never be cute. I-What are you doing? Ooh, that feels good. A little to the left please."_

Cradling him with one arm, Belle used her free hand to continue scratching him behind the ears. Rumpel snuggled deeper into her side, and Belle soon heard a soft rumble come from the grey Tabby cat. The mighty Dark-One was purring.

"Does kitty want some milk?"

Unable to stop himself, Rumpel nuzzled his head against her and kept purring. His tail curled itself loosely around her arm. Belle took this as a yes and heading towards the kitchen.

* * *

She should stop.

This was completely cruel, and he would likely kill her when he turned back to normal. But, this was too fun to pass up on. Belle moved the tiny magnifying glass again and watched the little spot of light move across the floor with Rumpelstiltskin right behind it. Rumpel pounced on the light only to find it gone when he lifted his paws.

They'd been doing this for nearly an hour. Rumpel showed no signs of quitting, and Belle wasn't going to stop being amused by this anytime soon. Seeing him chase the little beam of light with such enthusiasm was hilarious. It was even funnier knowing that he would never actually catch it.

Belle laughed as Rumpel slid off of the table trying to catch the light. Yes. She would stop…eventually.

_**TBC**_


	45. 45 Fantasy

**Disclaimer:**** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

"For the last time, Emma, I'm fine," Belle snapped. "Nothing happened last night."

The librarian was silently cursing the fact that they'd been banished to a small town. Nothing was a secret here. If one person knew something, the entire town would in a few hours. Last night, a few neighbors had spotted a man in black entering the Gold's house. By noon the next day, the entire town knew, and a few people had even called the sheriff.

"We're just worried, Annie. There are a lot of people who don't like Gold," Ruby said.

"And I want to know if I have to come pick up a body," Emma piped up.

Belle sighed. "There's no body to pick up, Emma. No one broke in. It was just my husband coming in late. All his suits are dark, so whoever saw him probably thought it was burglar."

Thankfully, her friends bought it, and Ruby brought her lunch to-go. Belle paid her and quickly headed towards Mr. Gold's shop. Gold looked up when she passed through the curtain and took a seat across from him.

"You need to be more careful. The neighbors spotted you and told Emma."

He grabbed the bag from her and reached inside. "Just tell her that I was coming home late."

"Don't worry. I did. I've been around you long enough to know how to twists words."

Gold chuckled as her passed her one of the burgers from the bag and took the other. "You have learned something from me after all. I'm so proud."

"You're just a terrible influence. Last night was proof of that."

"Oh sure, blame me," he said, rolling his eyes. "Maybe next time you'll choose a better scenario. I'm not complaining about last night, but I will rat you out and say that it was your idea if we get caught."

Belle blushed. Fantasy Night may have been her idea, but he'd readily agreed to it. After the first three years under the curse, Belle had come up with a way to keep their marriage exciting. Whenever boredom crept up on one of them, that person would leave the other a note. On the note were instructions that the receiver had to follow that evening.

Last night's instructions had involved Gold dressing up as a burglar and breaking into his own house. The events that followed had forced Belle to wear a jacket the entire day and made Gold limp a bit more than usual, but neither one of them complained.

"Like yours are any better. Do you know how long it took me to find that French maid uniform?"

An evil smile formed on Gold's lips at the memory. "You enjoyed it just as much as I did. If only they'd existed in our world."

Belle flicked a French fry at him. "Pervert."

He quickly caught it in his mouth and grinned at her. "You wouldn't have had to wear it _everyday_. Besides, I didn't complain when you had me wear the Cabana boy outfit and made me your slave."

She smiled innocently at him. "To be fair, it was hot that day, and I had to find some way to get you out of the suit."

Mr. Gold wasn't buying it but dismissed it and reached into his jacket. He pulled out a small envelope only to pull it away when Belle reached for it. "Don't open it until you get to the library."

Belle did not like the sound of that or the evil gleam in his eyes but promised not to open it.

Upon reaching the library, Belle took a seat behind the reception desk and opened the envelope. She quickly pulled out a single letter and started reading. As she read, her face turned redder, and her eyes got wider. He was crazier and more perverted than she'd originally thought.

_Damn you, Rum and you obsession with leather. You're lucky I love you._

**TBC**

**I'll leave what the letter says up to you guys. ;)**


	46. 46 Revenge

**Disclaimer:**** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

"Come on, Rumpel. It was only a joke," Belle reasoned as she backed up.

The Dark-One was not listening and continued to stalk towards her with a little glass vial in one hand and a menacing gleam in his eyes. Belle had no idea what the contents of said vial did and did not want to find out. Her back hit the mantelpiece of the library's fireplace, and she knew she was caught.

"You made me chase a spot of light for three hours!" he growled.

Belle laughed nervously. "Technically, I don't _make_ you chase it. You did that on your own. I just moved it and watched you follow it."

"For three hours?!"

"I knew you were going to tire yourself out eventually. I just didn't think it would take that long."

Rumpelstiltskin raised the vial and threw it at Belle's feet. Belle flinched as she was enveloped in purple smoke causing the imp to smile. Truth be told, he had no idea what that potion did. It had been on his 'harmless shelf', so he decided to use it on Belle. That would teach her to toy with him when he was vulnerable.

Just as Rumpel was starting to savor his victory, he heard a loud snarl. He had no time to react to the large weight that ran towards him and knocked him over. Rumpel fell back against the library settee and saw stars for a moment before he came face to face with Belle. It was then that he remembered what his potion did.

He'd crafted it by accident. It was used to let out ones inner animal. Rumpelstiltskin then remembered the day he'd spent as a hyena. Afterwards, he hadn't been able to bring himself to get rid of it. Instead, he'd placed on his highest shelf; out of sight, out of mind. Until yesterday that is, when he spotted the shimmering red liquid

Belle's inner animal just so happened to be a wolf. Said wolf currently had him pinned down and was growling in his face. Rumpelstiltskin smiled weakly up at her. Sure, he wouldn't die from it, but he really did not want to know what having his throat ripped out by a wolf felt like. Belle growled again, and he gulped nervously.

"Belle. Dearie. It was only a joke."

For a second, he could have sworn that she was smiling at him before she gave his face a long lick. She then moved off of his chest allowing him space to crawl to the opposite end of the couch.

"Ugh!" Rumpel exclaimed, wiping the saliva off of his face. "I know I said that I love your kisses, but this was not what I meant."

Belle grinned at him. _That's what you get for turning me into a wolf._

"If I'd known you'd turn into a bloody wolf, I wouldn't have done it."

Her eyes widened, and Belle cocked her head to the side. _Wait. He can read my mind?_

Rumpel chuckled. "I'm not reading your mind if that's what you're thinking. You're just very easy to read even in this form."

He then took a moment to examine her. He had to admit, she was beautiful even as a wolf. Though nowhere near as large as a werewolf, she was still large for a wolf. Her fur was a silvery-white color, and the blue eyes that stared at him reminded him that it was indeed Belle.

Belle slowly came towards him and sniffed the patch of skin revealed by his open collar. She hadn't noticed it as much as a human, but he smelled wonderful. The scent of old books and parchment, leather, and magic swirled around him. Rumpel raised an eyebrow her sudden interest in his neck before scratching her behind the ears. Another softer growl came from her this time.

_Damn that feels good, and he smells delicious. I think I'll rest here for a bit._

Belle nuzzled his throat and rested her head on his shoulder. Rumpel lifted his head to look at her. This was not what he'd had in mind for revenge, but he decided not to argue with Belle in her current state. Besides, she was very warm and her fur was soft. Careful not to jar her, he grabbed the quilt off the back of the settee and covered them both with it.

Belle looked back at the quilt covering their bodies. She turned back to Rumpel and gave his face another long lick.

"You are enjoying this far too much," He said, wiping his face again. "Remember me never to try to get even with you again."

She nudged his chin with her muzzle. _I will_

_**TBC**_


	47. 47 Beauty

**Disclaimer:**** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

Belle was no stranger to the word beauty. She'd been told that she was beautiful all her life by nearly everyone that met her. Her name meant it, and her looks were usually the first, if not the only, thing about her that most people complimented. All but one. Belle smiled as she thought about the one person that wasn't completely focused on her looks and just happened to be the most beautiful man she'd ever seen.

Rumpelstiltskin had been gone for days working on a deal for days and returned late last night. He'd slept for most of the morning, and Belle decided to wake him up for a late breakfast. She entered his room quietly so as not to wake him, and just as she expected, Rumpel was still asleep when she entered. Belle placed the tray on the table by his bed and went to open the window. Before, she had hadn't been able to do this, but she'd since made him remove the nails from all the curtains in the castle. This included the ones in his room, and Belle wasted no time opening the curtains as wide as possible.

This had no effect since Rumpel's face was buried into his pillow. It did, however, give Belle a beautiful view. Her master was fast asleep on his stomach with arms spread out across the bed and snoring lightly. The mid-morning sun beamed through the window and hit his bare back and arms. His skin seemed to glitter from the light, and Belle smiled to herself. He was beautiful in the most exotic way. He'd never believe her if she said it, of course, but she knew.

Unable to resist, Belle went over to the bed and slowly ran her hand up his back. His skin was soft and she could feel his spine as she dragged her hand up and down. Rumpel let out a low moan into his pillow and unconsciously arched into her touch. He didn't wake up, but his movement did cause the duvet to fall. The cover slid off the bed to the floor revealing Rumpel's very bare backside to Belle.

Belle immediately started to blush. She'd longed to see what he'd been hiding underneath his leathers for a while, but this was better than anything she'd dreamed of. After seeing this, she was slightly disappointed that he hadn't rolled over, but she knew that if his back was gold so was the rest of him. An evil smile then formed on her face. Without warning, Belle drew back her hand and brought it down hard on his exposed rear end.

A load shriek of shock came from Rumpel afterward. In his surprised state, the Dark-One's feet twisted up in the end of the duvet that was still on the bed. The momentum made him fall off the edge of the bed and onto the floor. Belle covered her mouth to stifle her laughter and looked to at Rumpelstiltskin. The man in question glared up at her, but it had little effect. Belle doubted that she could ever be afraid of him after seeing him naked, upside down, and tangled in a bed sheet.

"I'm going to kill you when I get up."

In that case, she had nothing to lose. Belle fled from the room, laughing all the way. Sure, he'd find her later, but hopefully he'd be in a better mood by then.

Grumbling, Rumpelstiltskin picked himself up and tossed the covers back on the bed. He then noticed the tray Belle had left behind. He lifted the lid and found the breakfast she'd made for him. Fresh pancakes, eggs, bacon sat on the tray along with his usual tea. She'd even placed a rose in a small vase in the corner of the tray. It all smelled delicious.

With a small smile, Rumpel sat on the edge of his bed and put the tray in his lap. As always, her cooking was as wonderful as it smelled. Taking a sip of his tea, Rumpel smiled to himself.

_I'll murder her when I finish eating._

_**TBC**_


	48. 48 Solitude

**Disclaimer:**** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

_Mulan: Was there anyone else in here with him? Could they have taken the ink?  
Snow White: No. He was kept alone. Visitors were forbidden. He was too dangerous to allow any human contact.  
Emma Swan: How did he keep from going crazy?  
Sleeping Beauty: He didn't. ~Season 2 Episode 9 - Queen of Hearts._

"They say that talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity, you know."

Mr. Gold opened his eyes and looked down at his wife. "What?"

Belle rolled over on to his chest and looked at her husband. "You've been mumbling to yourself for the past half an hour."

"Have I?" He asked, feigning surprise.

"Yes. Come to think of it, you do that a lot especially when you think I'm not watching."

He smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry if it bothers you. It's an old habit I picked from living alone. Even with you here, it's hard to stop."

Belle smiled sadly at him. He was centuries old and had been alone for most of that time. That much isolation would drive anyone mad. Even with his deal-making, he'd probably been lonely. Even though he denied it, she was sure that was the reason he asked for her.

_Why did you want me here?_

_The place was filthy. _

_I think you were lonely. Any man would be lonely._

_I'm not a man._

Despite his words and attempt to be rid of her, she'd stayed with him. She'd looked after him when he'd forget to do it himself and still did it to this day. He'd given her his dagger as a sign of his trust and protected her and their home with his life. They'd even adopted a dragon together.

Belle knew, however, that none of this could fill the hole created by the loss of his son. She was somewhat glad. She did not want to replace Baelfire in his heart. His past would always be a part of him. Belle wasn't naïve either. She knew that he'd done horrible things before they met. Three hundred years was too long a time for him to have gone without doing something bad and there wasn't anyone in their world that could have stopped him.

That was until she'd come along. He'd been hesitant at first, but he eventually learned to trust her and let her in. There were some subjects he wouldn't talk about, and she wasn't going to push him. He'd talk when he was ready. Even if he never told her, she would be fine with it. His past was his past. She wasn't going to punish him for things he probably could never fix by now; his dreams did that for her.

"Belle. Belle, can you hear me?"

Belle was brought out of her trance by his voice and realized that she'd been unconsciously stroking his hair the entire time. She nodded and lunged forward, capturing his lips in a passionate kiss. When she pulled away she saw that he was out of breath and slightly confused.

"Is something wrong, dearie?"

She smiled up at him and hugged him tighter. "No. Everything is perfect."

She was right where she wanted and needed to be. As long as she was here, he wouldn't have to be alone again.

_**TBC**_


	49. 49 Teeth

**Disclaimer:**** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

"Rumpel, will you stop being a baby and just go to the dentist?"

"No, I will no-OW!"

Mr. Gold clutched his jaw in pain again. They'd only been under the effect of the curse for a week when the pain began. He'd attempted to keep it from Belle at first, but the pain had now gotten to the point where it hurt for him to talk.

Like his leg, this injury had happened before he'd become Dark-One. Mr. Gold didn't remember exactly how he'd chipped his tooth only that he had. Dentistry in their world hadn't been a very humane practice. Fear for his good teeth had made Rumpel ignore the pain when it hit for months until he'd become the Dark-One. The magic healed his tooth and gave his teeth their odd coloring as a side effect.

Now, they were in a land without magic. His limp had returned forcing him to use a cane, and the pain from his tooth had returned. Belle had tried numerous times to explain to him that dentists were different in this world, but he refused to listen. She watched him work through the pain for weeks until he could no longer speak without flinching. He had to go to the dentist. Belle knew that he'd never go willingly, so she'd have to do things his way.

"I'll make you a deal, Rumpel. Either you go to the dentist like an adult or I'm never letting you put your lips on me again."

Gold's eyes widened. "What?! Ow!"

"That's right. You can barely talk, Rum, and I'm not going to risk cutting my tongue on your chipped tooth. So, until you get it fixed, you can forget about kissing me and anything that goes with it."

Glaring but unable to speak, he grabbed a note pad and pen off of the table. _You're being unreasonable. _

"I think my terms are very reasonable. I'm protecting both of us until you man up and go to the dentist."

The two glared at each other, neither willing to relent, until Gold finally cracked. _FINE!__ I'll go to the bloody dentist, but if I come back with missing teeth I'm blaming you._

"I'll take full responsibility for that if it happens. Now come on, your appointment is in fifteen minutes."

* * *

"Will you stop sulking?" Belle said, looking up from her book. "Dr. Stevens will be with you in a minute, and we'll be home in a few hours."

Mr. Gold looked at his wife for the first time since entering the dentist's office. "Dr. Stevens? You mean Martin Stevens?"

"Yes. Do you know him?"

Gold's face turned white at the memory and nodded slowly. In their world, Martin Stevens had been known as Orin Scrivello. To put it simply, the man was insane. His methods for healing should have been used for torture. Many of his patients had come to him asking him to undo the work Scrivello had done to them. He'd complied each time for a price of course. After each one, he'd silently thanked his lucky stars that he didn't have to see the man.

"Mr. Gold, Dr. Stevens will see you now."

Gold sent Belle a frantic look. _Please don't make me go, Belle. __Please don't make me go!_

"You'll be fine, love. I'll be right here waiting."

Belle gave him a consoling kiss on the cheek and patted his knee. Terrified, Mr. Gold stood and followed the nurse.

_**TBC**_


	50. 50 Captive

**Disclaimer:**** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

"How did we get roped into this again?"

Mr. Gold sat back against the hard store bench and looked at his fellow captive. "Two beautiful yet conniving women tricked us into giving up our credit cards and manhood."

The doctor nodded. "Ah."

Gold had been as shocked as everyone else when he heard that Victor had gotten with Ruby. After Belle explained to him, he understood a little better and was truly happy for them both. He was also now thankful for the company Victor provided when Belle and Ruby went shopping.

"How much longer can they stay in there?" asked Victor.

"Hard to say. They have cards with no spending limits and a large amount of energy. We could be sitting here for another two hours."

"Two hours? We've already been here for three. What part of the store haven't they covered yet?"

Gold closed his eyes and checked. He easily found Belle's trail using magic and followed it. First skirts, then dress, then shoes for a while, and now they were at-oh wow.

He let out a happy chuckle and tried to fight a smile. He quickly opened his eyes and stood up, startling Victor.

"Well?"

"They're in the lingerie section, and I think Belle could use a man's opinion."

The doctor's eyes widened, and he quickly stood up as well. "Lead the way."

_**TBC**_


	51. 51 Gold

**Disclaimer:**** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

"What the hell did you do to yourself?"

Those were the first words out of Belle's mouth when she saw her husband smile after seeing Dr. Stevens. Mr. Gold smiled again, his new gold tooth gleaming in the light.

"You wanted me to fix the tooth, dearie."

Belle sighed. She'd had a feeling that he'd do something to get back at her for making him go to the dentist. She quickly ushered him out of the office.

"You're an idiot," she said, looping her arm through his and starting down the street.

He simply kissed he forehead with a smile. "You still love me."

"Sometimes I wonder why."

Gold sniffled, but Belle could see the happy glint in his eyes. "I'm hurt. I honored our agreement and went to the dentist repeatedly to get my tooth fixed."

"You look like a pimp."

He laughed loudly at her statement. "It was either this or silver, and gold seemed a bit more fitting."

Belle rolled her eyes. "I wonder why."

"Your sarcasm is nothing more than a turn on to me, sweetheart," he whispered in her ear.

Belle blushed and smacked his arm. "I still don't like the gold tooth, but I am glad that you feel better."

"I am too. It'll be nice to eat real food again." He'd been miserable throughout this entire process. Living off of gelatin and soup was not something he'd enjoyed. Belle laced her fingers with his and smiled. "But there is something that will be even nicer."

She looked up at him, still grinning. "Oh?"

"But of course."

Without any further warning, Gold swooped down and captured her lips with his own. Belle happily kissed back. She'd almost forgotten how sweet his lips tasted. They remained that way until Belle pulled away when he ran his tongue across he lips.

"What is it?"

"You just got your tooth put in, and your breath smells like wet sand," she said bluntly. Gold pouted at her rejection, and Belle kissed his cheek. "Just be patient. In a few days, your mouth is going to be working overtime to make up for lost time."

He smiled at the thought of Belle making him 'work' again. "Tease."

"You still love me."

_**TBC**_


	52. 52 Feet

**Disclaimer:**** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

"Stop squirming, dearie. You brought this on yourself."

"I did no such thing."

"I beg to differ."

"I didn't. You're just being immature."

"My day says otherwise. Now, I would like an apology and maybe I'll think about freeing you."

"Bite me."

"Don't tempt me, sweetheart. You're no position to be insulting me."

"I'll do as I wish, and there's no way I'm apologizing over something so juvenile."

"Juvenile? What you did was unforgivable."

"It's not that serious, Rum!"

_*Mock-pout*_ "That really hurt, Belle. Now, I really want an apology."

_*Snort* _"When pigs fly."

"Then, you'll just sit here forever."

"People will come looking for me eventually."

"And cross me? Not likely, dearie. Everyone in this town knows better."

"They're just afraid that you'll leave them homeless or unemployed. If they knew you like I do, they'd see that you're just a big puppy on the inside."

"What did you say?!"

_*Smirk*_ "You heard me. What are you going to do about it?" _*Thump!* *Thump!* _"What are you doing with my shoes?"

"You're not being nice. You need to be punished." _*The bedside drawer opens.*_

"Rumpel, no! I'm ticklish. Put the feather away! I'm sorry! I-AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"I'm not going to stop until you apologize."

"Rum…HAHA…Stop…HOHO….I can't…HEHE…breathe."

"Say it!"

"I'M SORRY!"

_*The feather is lowered.* _"For?"

"I'm sorry for washing your lucky socks."

"Now, was that so hard?"

"You nearly made me wet myself, you ass."

"If you had just apologized sooner, I wouldn't have had to punish you."

_*Handcuffs land on the floor.* _"I will get you back for this."

"I love you, too."

_**TBC**_


End file.
